Price differences in oxycodone products - FYI

[hospicenurse]

Endocet 5/325 = .15 tablet

Endocet 10/325 = 1.45 tablet

Endocet 10/650 = 1.54 tablet

Oxycodone 5 mg = .30 tablet

Found this out recently when a patient came to us on Endocet 10/650 and we got the first bill. Yikes!! The explanation from the pharmacist is that the 10/325 and the 10/650 are new products, therefore more expensive. I think it's particularly interesting that the 5/325 is half the price of the plain 5mg of Oxy.

BTW, these are the prices our hospice is charged, not retail price. But the cost variation would probably be about the same.

Our hospice has decided not to cover the new doses, unless there is a darn good reason.

Gail

[Nurse Ratched, RN]

Thanks for the heads up :). I'm always bugging our pharmacy about dosage/price questions (it's absolutely amazing how often splitting a larger dosage pill to get two of the smaller ordered doses makes a tremendous price difference, for example.)

[leslie :-D]

Endocet 5/325 = .15 tablet

Endocet 10/325 = 1.45 tablet

Endocet 10/650 = 1.54 tablet

Oxycodone 5 mg = .30 tablet

Gail

i wonder why oxycodone, the generic, would be more expensive than endocet 5/325?

and you're right gail.

it is good to know these costs, esp if it's private pay.

[aimeee, BSN, RN]

i wonder why oxycodone, the generic, would be more expensive than endocet 5/325?

Maybe the oxycodone comes from a different drug company?

What an eye opener, Gail! Thanks for the heads up!