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Anybody paying cash for medicine would get a much better price at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) These pharmacies buy medicine at Public Health Service prices. A bottle of Atripla costs about $850 where I work.
Wow, who has med supply built up??? I go month to month. who can afford to build up supply unless you are not taking some. My Atripla costs $2100 and change each month, I am on a year long ADAP waiting list in Atlanta, and currently receive my Atripla through Gilead's Patient Assistance Program and have for the last year, with an new extension as of last month. I have no insurance and have been unemployed a year now and never sure if I'll find work or if they will extend UI benefits.
I feel that any drug that gets licensed raises the price they charge. I think we need to concentrate on Americans first and foremost.
Wow the concept of a strike on meds is very powerful and it would work if enough of us UTUBE it in a Daily Experence. I for one am on Strike now due to ADAP stortage in Florida and moving to California where they have a 90 day waiting period for treatment, I think it is about the imigration problem of opening HIV folks and not enough money for Americans. Yes if the drug pushers reconized a reduced income for their big houses then they would be happy to take a negoiated piece of the pie. SOS
I **JUST** learned that my Medicare Pt. D Plan charges a few dollars under $19,000. for 30 tablets now and I think Big Pharma is circumnavigating the new Healthcare Reform Law. I use Medicare rather than the VA-- Although I am 100% Service-Connected Disabled Veteran and am able to ALSO continue to rec'v. full SSDI because the VA **is service-connected**, the VA would never cover my HIV RX/care because it was not service connected, forcing me to use Medicare, with the VA being ALWAYS last to pay.
Shame on them. As if it weren't horrifying enough to walk into my pharmacy every month and pay $1,621 for a bottle of 30 pills. Imagine how stunned I was when I was told it went up to $1,705 today. They should ashamed of themselves. And certainly be publicly held accountable for gouging people whose insurance doesn't cover it (mine only covers generic drugs).
It is true that Atripla is available in Africa (South Africa) at drastically reduced pricing. Before leaving the US I was paying in excess of $1,100 per month for Atripla. In South Africa I pay roughly $75 per month!
Jay
What to do? I am grateful to receive $1100 in assistance to offset the $1500 monthly charge for my insurance policy. Even so, $1700 for Atripla (of which I get 70% back) makes it impossible to use my insurance for other drugs or healthcare needs. Gilead offers $200 PAP w/insurance but almost free w/o insurance. Without a full time job, do I give up insurance? Stop taking my HIV meds? ADAP is overloaded in GA and the powers that be seem truly out of touch with the reality. I'm so very frustrated.
November 29, 2011 • Atlanta