|
|
Weis Pharmacy Receipts arranged by decreasing costs per 30 pills. (please click to enlarge) |
|
Under pressure to investigate some of the political issues prior to the upcoming midterm elections,
I investigated my latest set of drug receipts. As of now, I am taking some 15 prescription drugs -
probably accounting for my continuous dizzy daze and subsequent semi-survival. Every time I pick up my prescriptions called in by phone to Weis Pharmacy, I am astounded at their exorbitant costs. On the other hand, sometimes I am getting Highmark/Blue Cross or Shield reimbursement checks, the last one being the first to pass the $ 1,200 mark, to me somewhat equivalent to as well as synchronous with a 12,000 DOW. Following below, the top three sets of receipts are arranged first by decreasing costs per 30 pills, then alphabetically from A to Z. |
|
|
|
Weis Pharmacy Receipts arranged by decreasing costs per 30 pills. (please click to enlarge) |
|
The total cost of these 15 prescriptions amounts to US$ 915.09, ranging from $ 7.10 to $ 157.54, averaging $ 61,01 . Note that Weis offers a welcome 10% discount. In addition, they print on some receipts either "Generic Savings" or "Possible Savings" with the relevant amount. Trying to find out the meaning, I called Weis' pharmacist and we agreed that the "Generic Savings" had already been incorporated in the price, e.g cholchicine shows generic savings of $ 61.09, leaving a total of $ 9.49, minus discount of $ 0.95, leaving a "YOU PAY" of $ 8.54 As to the term "Possible Savings" I am still awaiting his explanation. For example, note there are two separate receipts for Pravachol, each for $ 157.54, but the 01/17/06 (original) receipt does not show "Possible Savings", whereas the 09/15/06 (duplicate) receipt does show "Possible Savings of $ 116.48. Interestingly, I found out that Pravachol has had a generic substitute since April 2006! Does that entitle me to a refund of say 5 x $ 116.48 if my Physician allowed generic substitution as I have requested "generically" ?! |
|
Three recommendations : |
LINKS: prescription drug costs Lawrence Walsh: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, October 13, 2006 Consumer Report |
|
|
Weis Pharmacy Receipts arranged alphabetically A - Z (please click to enlarge) |
|
My next concern was to find a matrix, table or program which would allow one to check incompatibilities of specified drugs.
A Yahoo search came up with 850,000 refs for "incompatible drugs", or by adding "matrix", 51,600 ("table" 285,000).
Too much work, so I phrased the question to YAHOO, asking to be E-mailed when replies would come in. Within an hour, I had two replies, the second one, provided by "NewLungs2004" being almost perfect: go to a program published by EDrugDigest! Following are the five pages of (13) drug interactions for the 14 drugs I entered in said program: |
|
|
|
| POTENTIAL |
| In conclusion, I quote some links to a problem many of us share: Treating Elevated Cholesterol and Heart Disease: The Statins Consumer Report Statin Choices incl. cost comparison Consumer Report |
