March 13, 2009 - 11:10pm
hi i'm not sure if i'm doing this right but i read some of your concern and comments. me and my husband both tke oxy 30 mg he's had neck, shoulder hand, and knee surgeries and i have had back surgery of course it didn't work and we've been on some kind of pain medication for over 15 years. we went to a doctor and perscribed oxy 30 mg and it seems to work pretty good we have good days and bad ones. we both work construction so we are always on the move. we haven't had any problem filling our perscription until this month. which we still got it filled at the same place we always do. the only thing that floored us was that we've been paying 1.00 per pill until today when the pharmactist told us that his supplier went up i was figuring a couple of buck to the total but NO they went up to 4.05 per pill of course as you probably guesssed got them filled cause everyone knows that if you don't take it get ready to feel like your whole world just sit on top you. what makes me so mad is that people like us and you need them to get rid of the pain you feel everyday cause we all thought we were invisable when we were younger and now paying the price, but the people out there that some how get them from a doctor and not a thing wrong with them. they just want to get high. so those many people have ruined it for the rest of us that are in pain. hopefully it will get better never say it won't. thank you for being patient woth me and sorry for babbling on!
March 14, 2009 - 7:27am
#2
legality
Isn't there a law in place that prevents this? I'm not talking about prices going up in general, but prices being raised simply because there is a shortage sounds like something a drug dealer would do. Maybe some of us need to contact the Better Business Bureau.
If anyone has any knowledge on this please chime in.
March 14, 2009 - 11:11am
#3
The BBB is a scam of a
The BBB is a scam of a system. The businesses that are part of there little BBB Association pay a fee to be there and get those little stickers they put on there doors. Complaining to a privately held company like the BBB isnt going to get you anywhere. You need to email the Florida State Board of Pharmacy. Be BRIEF in your email. Dont get into your life story. Simply say "I went to my normal pharmacy, and instead of paying X amount for the total prescription like normal it was 4x's the price which was $ for #quantity of 30mg Oxycodone HCL tablets. I was told it was because of a supplier change but Im thinking that it is price gouging because of the shortage of Oxycodone HCL since the price being charged is 4x's the AWP. I am including the name, address and phone of the pharmacy I am raising a question about." It seems like they are charging you brand name OxyContin 30mg price instead of the price for Oxycodone HCL 30mg IR tablets.
The average wholesale price for Oxycodone HCL 30mg for Mallinckrodt is $1.27 and Qualitest is $1.42 so depending on which one you got there shouldve been a slight increase, but even if the pharmacy doubled the wholesale price it would still be less than what you paid. Heck, brand name OxyContin 20mg tablets are less than $4.00 per pill.
March 14, 2009 - 8:15pm
#4
No Laws
There are no laws regarding this. The way our computer system works, we charge a percentage of a brand drug. AWP is not used at all in pricing, so don't consider it. The cost of the brand name drug is put into a mathematical formula to arrive at the price. Most if not all pharmacies price drugs this way. Drugs are priced so high because we have to bill insurances a high amount, or else they will short us on the reimbursement. For example, say 30 tabs of a drug cost $40 to aquire from a wholesaler. A pharmacist will bill insurance a higher amount, probably 80-120, because if we only bill 60 dollars, and the insurance is willing to pay 80, they will only reimburse 60 dollars. This screws the customers without insurance, unless the pharmacy has discounted prices. Because it is illegal to give different prices to different patients, we cannot just make up random prices, even though most pharmacists do this at one time or another. If anyone is to blame, it is the drug companies for jacking up prices on easy to manufacture pills (Most pills cost under 10 dollars for 100 tabs) or the insurance companies varying reimbursement and causing the pharmacies to overbill them to max out the amount they get back.
March 15, 2009 - 7:43am
#5
My pharmacist
My pharmacist gives different prices to different patients. Example: My dad and I have the same name. He has insurance and I don't. A couple months ago when I went to get my refill on 120 Norco the pharmacist charged me $58.00. It has always been $35.00. I told this to the pharmacist and she got on the computer while she asked me my date of birth. I told her and she explained to me that she accidentally put it under dads name and DOB. $58 with insurance. Anyway, she put a new label on the RX bottle and said $35.00. I am so happy they do this for me. I was swithed to Percocet 10/325 last month and they were $87.00 for 120. When I got home I looked in the drug pricing section on my internet prescription card and it said that the Percocet would have been $98.00 if I would have used the card. Weird huh? The pharmacist told me to have the Dr switch me to oxycodone HCL that it would cost me around $45 for 120 15mg tabs.
March 17, 2009 - 7:30pm
#6
tried board state of pharmacy
tried state board of pharmacy they can't control price of medications they say call state rep to get law change good luck there. anyway just thought you'll would like to know that i learn more about this pharmacy. someone went in there mon a.m. and got them for 1.50 each then today someone went in and he was going to charge them 5.00 ea. of course this guy wants to fight the guy. the pharmacist had nerve to say it was because of the doctors office that it came from. last three month he hasn't had a problem with but now he does. i felt like calling the local news and let them handle it but he'll lose alot of business. but you never know if they will get into our personal lives and stir stuff up from the past. me and my husband work hard everyday to make it just like most everyone one else it just seems like when things are going desent someone there to bring you down IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE WITH ANY IDEA HOW TO STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING!
March 17, 2009 - 7:44pm
#7
around where I live I went to
around where I live I went to get my script here in town at a local cvs becuse its closer to my house. Well this was last month but I paid and he put the money right in his white coat pocket!!! I thought that was kinda weird, but then again so was the price. It was almost twice the amount I paid last year. Anyway I got a call from my reg. pharmacy today and was kindly told that the shortage is over any that my oxy 30's could be filled without any problem. Im wondering if its just my area or is everything back to normal everywhere?
March 18, 2009 - 5:14pm
#8
In my area (Portland, Oregon)
There has been a slight price increase for the last couple of months but for some reason the price of it went back down the last time I filled my script for brand name Oxycontin.
Also, if they are trying to %?#$$ you over on the cost, it might be because that pharmacy is paying a higher price for their drugs now...but raising it $3 per pill is a little rediculous!
You should ask your PM doc if there is a discount card that he can give you for your meds, I know they're out there and they take off a significant amount if you can get your hands on one.
Good luck!
PS. Is there anyone here from Portland, Oregon??
March 18, 2009 - 6:29pm
#9
deanna
you got a call today? saying your pharm got there order in for oxy 30s and that the shortage is over? what state r u in? im in florida and my pharm is getting an order tomorrro but they dont know if they r getting the oxys...if your pharm said that today thats good news.
March 18, 2009 - 6:38pm
#10
Nina, thats what they said
Nina, thats what they said (mom and pop) not CVS. Im Central Florida too. Near Ocala area. What part are you? A friend of mine got the same call couse shes on the same meds as Iam
March 18, 2009 - 7:12pm
#11
im in pasco
i pmd you,an asked u how i no when u pmd me back. thanks again 4 the info..
said they paid 4 a pill...sounds like gouging to me.