I always knew that meds can be very high but had never experienced it on myself in this manner.
I had taken antibiotics for an infection and again shortly after before getting a root canal done. So worst case sets in and I get Pseudo-membranous Enter-colitis. Stool test is positive for C-Diff. Things happen. I get put on Flagyl and am told by the doc to enjoy the week off, can not return to work till after 7 days and a negative stool sample. So far not all that bad.
Well, I do not respond to the Flagyl after 3 days, and the doc calls in the last line of defense for me. PO Vancomycin for 14 days QID. I go to the Pharmacy to pick it up and get the shock of the year so far. My co-pay for the 56 little pills is $ 285 and the insurances part is $1187. Holly crap guys, I think that is outrages. But oh well, even so it hurts, at least I am lucky enough to be able to afford it, if I were poor and uninsured, I guess I would just die of diarrhea in the next few weeks.:angryfire ok Vent done, I feel better now.
as far as the vanco goes.....at the ltc facility i work for....we use the powder vanco that was meant to be given iv and reconstitute it and give po. much cheaper. the pharmacist was the one to recommend this...it saves a ton of money and works just as well.
I take an obscene amount of medicines due to the fact that I am diabetic with heart problems and chronic anemia. Even with insurance, my meds cost me over $400.00/month. Without insurance I would be paying well over $1200.00/month. This does not include hubby's medicine. Doctors expect patients to be compliant with diabetic testing and test their blood sugar 4x's a day but very few can afford that. I try to get a fasting blood sugar every day and then I usually don't test again that day unless the fasting was not in normal range or I become symptomatic. And if you thought it was expensive being a diabetic.......just wait till heart disease rears its ugly head. OMG!
Maybe our next new President will try to fix this problems cause it ain't going away on its own.
Florastor 250mg 50caps $37.50-that's a paste and copy from internet
So it's cheaper. You probably already bought the Vanco. The cost of Medicine is abscene. I had a heart attack right after xmas and now I am spending about $900/month on medication after my PPO insurance pays their part
He already tried Flagyl and said he didn't respond to it anyway and Florastor isn't really an antibiotic is it?
I am appalled by the cost of healthcare in US --- we pay almost $900 per month for our insurance (we pay privately since dh works for a small company and I am an agency LPN) ---
Meds are rediculous(sp?) --- I pray every day that we do not get sick...
I cringe every time we have to throw out meds in LTC when someone goes to the hospital, or dies, or the meds are changed.....
I agree, before I was a nurse I remember 85 dollar biaxin causing me a hardship. I dont know what is going to happen but many simply cannot afford these prices. I actually almost went through the same thing you did. I had an abscessed tooth for about 3-6 months, took Amoxicillin but the knot was still there. Had a root canal and the dentist put me on Clindamycin.
I was about to take one then read the warning label and was like hmmm. So I made my wife and mother mad because they swore I would get osteomyelitis but I didnt take any. Maybe that wasnt a smart thing to do but I did heal up just fine.
It is way too late now but another poster was onto something. If you have a systemic infection or localized (like a wound) taking the IV vancomycin powder by mouth I dont think is effective due to the bioavailability. However I think it is effective for infections in the GI tract so that could have been a cheaper option. I could be wrong on that though.
I picked up a vial of Zofran for my dad during his chemotherapy. I was shocked that his good insurance had a copay of $250. That was only for 30 pills. He ended up liking Reglan much better than Zofran for his N/V. I accused him of being cheap but he said Reglan really did work better for him than Zofran.
I agree, before I was a nurse I remember 85 dollar biaxin causing me a hardship. I dont know what is going to happen but many simply cannot afford these prices. I actually almost went through the same thing you did. I had an abscessed tooth for about 3-6 months, took Amoxicillin but the knot was still there. Had a root canal and the dentist put me on Clindamycin.
I was about to take one then read the warning label and was like hmmm. So I made my wife and mother mad because they swore I would get osteomyelitis but I didnt take any. Maybe that wasnt a smart thing to do but I did heal up just fine.
It is way too late now but another poster was onto something. If you have a systemic infection or localized (like a wound) taking the IV vancomycin powder by mouth I dont think is effective due to the bioavailability. However I think it is effective for infections in the GI tract so that could have been a cheaper option. I could be wrong on that though.
yup, vanco is not absorbed from the GI tract, ONLY given PO for pseudo membrenous colitis, had this go round with the occ doc over the years..
As a part of my job as case manager, I feel I have to do what is best for my patient. In doing that it also means that if my patient is not able to afford the medication, they will be on my readmission list for the rest of their lives. The doctors at my facility have begun writing generic meds that are on the Wal Mart $4.00 list if those meds will be just as effective. It took a while but compliance is getting better. Go to their website and look at the meds. I was shocked at some of them.
Diary/Dairy, RN
1,785 Posts
I had no idea people had to pay that much for their scripts! I went off a med because it cost $40 a month a few years ago!