Dear Editor:
The other day I went to get a prescription filled, a prescription that I have been using for several years. The pharmacist gave me the little white sack with the prescription in it and told me it would be $94.
In a moment of concern I questioned her about the cost. She checked it and asked if I took one dose or two per dayI told her one dose and then I threw away what was left at the end of 30 days. She looked as though I had struck her when she asked "Why did you throw it away, it was only half used!" I pointed out to her that on the box it states quite plainly, "If not used in 30 days, dispose of container and medicine in a safe manner."
She agreed that was what it said, then informed me that since the prescription was written up as one dose per day, that would be a 60 day supply and since the insurance company charged by the dose rather than by the receptacle, my cost would be more if I took one inhale per day rather than two, since a dose was construed to be two inhales per day.
This sounded very foolish to me since the same container should cost the same amount regardless of whether I took one inhale per day or 10 per daythe drug inside was the same regardless of how many times it would be taken, consequently the cost should be according to the amount in the container not how many times I took it.
Since I used to pay $47 when the doctor recommended two doses per day, and now suggested one per day so the cost is $94 seemed ridiculous to me. The pharmacist agreed with me after reading the outside of the box and changed the dosage in the record to two per day.now I am back to $47.
My question is, how many drugs of this type are being double charged by the insurance companies?
I suggest you check your prescriptions and the doctor's orders to see if you are being double charged by your insurance company. Could this be the reason costs are skyrocketing? Could it be the insurance industry is the culprit rather than the "already overcharging" pharmaceutical companies?