sticker shock
Jul. 15th, 2003 01:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cellioGood heavens. I had not realized that list price for my allergy medicine is almost $3/day. (My co-pay, fortunately, is 50 cents/day.) C'mon, guys; develop generics! Besides, it would lower my co-pay a bit. :-)
Fortunately, I do not take allergy drugs year-round -- just for about 6 weeks in the summer, starting soon. I have mild allergy symptoms for longer, but I tend to develop immunities to allergy drugs after a while, and I'd rather not do that again.
Fortunately, I do not take allergy drugs year-round -- just for about 6 weeks in the summer, starting soon. I have mild allergy symptoms for longer, but I tend to develop immunities to allergy drugs after a while, and I'd rather not do that again.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-15 10:59 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-15 11:09 am (UTC)What I do now is "spot treatments" -- I take the drugs for the worst part of the season and, individually, for smaller periods of time when things are particularly bad. So far this has been working; in fact, my last drug change was due to the FDA, not due to an immunity. (Fie on banning Seldane just because some people are stupid and don't read the neon orange stickers with the bold print...)
I don't know how long an immunity lasts; maybe I could bounce between two allergy drugs (alternating years) and solve it that way? (I don't even remember what I took before Seldane now.) I should ask my doctor. It's been a while since I've discussed this immunity problem with him anyway. (I should, um, maybe get my decennial checkup...)
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-15 11:27 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-15 11:50 am (UTC)It's amazing how expensive that stuff is in the States. I buy Zyctec for my mom (really for my step-dad and siblings) here (it's over the counter) and mail it to them (I physically cross the border and mail it from Blaine, WA). It's 50% of the price her insurance would reimburse her for (25$ CDN for 48 pills of 10mg).
I know Claritin is over the counter now for you, but still it is outrageously priced compared to how much I can get it here for! Weird eh?
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-15 11:56 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-15 12:01 pm (UTC)In truth, while I paid less over the counter than I did via insurance co-pay, the real reason I wanted the Canadian Seldane was that in the US I got these huge tablets to take twice a day, while in Canada I could buy nice coated one-a-day capsules that went down without any hassles. I have a strong gag reflex; these things matter.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-15 12:09 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-15 12:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-15 12:27 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-07-15 12:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-15 12:43 pm (UTC)I'm sorry, but you are wrong.
Date: 2003-07-15 12:59 pm (UTC)In the US, drug companies have 20 years on their patents from the date of first discovery. That is, when they declare that they are researching a novel molecular compound, that's when the clock starts ticking. Depending on the drug and how long it takes to make it through the clinical testing and clinical review process, a drug company may only have a few years to market and sell their product before their patent runs out. This is important, as the cost of developing a new drug product in the US is above one hundred million dollars. Yes, I typed that correctly. $100,000,000.00 and up.
The drug molecule is readily available. The drug (as opposed to the delivery system - you know, the thing you swallow) is not usually manufactured by the company whose name is stamped on the tablet. When the patent runs out, all the generic manufacturer has to do is to acquire some of the drug, and put it into a compatible delivery system that matches the dissolution, absorption, and elimination of the brand product. Until that patent runs out, it is illegal to market a generic equivalent for a brand product. Usually, the generic company has already tested their product and has it ready to ship the instant the patent has expired...but they can't ship it before then. It's against the law.
That's how it works. Any questions?
Re: I'm sorry, but you are wrong.
Date: 2003-07-15 01:08 pm (UTC)(It was also a generic, frustrated "guys", not a particular target.)
Re: I'm sorry, but you are wrong.
Date: 2003-07-15 01:27 pm (UTC)The most time-consuming part is the paperwork, but I guess if you define paperwork differently than I do, you might get a different answer. I can't tell you much about the actual numbers for any given drug...any way you slice it, it's not cheap.
Also, getting a generic to market is a lot less expensive than getting a novel compound to market, obviously.
costs
Date: 2003-07-15 02:15 pm (UTC)Good point. I hadn't been paying attention to that, as I watch little TV and that's where (I gather) the ads are most prevelant. Well, that and my inbox, but I would be delighted if I would stop receiving spam for Viagra. :-)
My mind still boggles at the costs. In particular, it boggles at the notion that this is worth it for the drug companies -- that they make enough in those few years when they own the market to make up for hundreds of millions of dollars of R&D. Industries of that magnitude are just a bit outside my area of experience. :-) I'm sure drugs aren't the only area where it plays out like this; I'd imagine that things like aircraft are similar in scope. But still... wow.
Re: costs
Date: 2003-07-15 02:44 pm (UTC)The next industry where you see things like this is probably the auto industry, not the aircraft manufacturing industry. Airplane design is much more static than automobiles, and car sales are based more on advertising than actual differences between products. Granted, the cost to get a vehicle to market is less than the cost of getting a drug to market, but I'll bet that the advertising costs are not far off. Next, you should consider Hollywood and their costs and marketing. We could go on and on, but I'm sure everyone has the picture now.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-15 03:34 pm (UTC)Alergy prescriptions
Date: 2003-07-16 10:00 am (UTC)However, my prescriptions have co pays of 10 or 15 dollars each time i get them filled. sigh. thank god for tax deductions.
Re: Alergy prescriptions
Date: 2003-07-16 08:39 pm (UTC)Re: Claritin and generics
Date: 2003-07-17 07:10 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-17 02:16 pm (UTC)The real Claritin is about 16$ for 24 or 36 I can't remember which. I haven't bought it in ages since the generic stuff works very well for me.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-17 02:17 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-07-18 08:41 am (UTC)