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OT medicine costs killing me



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 27th 04, 05:44 AM
Polly Esther
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default OT medicine costs killing me

I am so reluctant to ask this since I know you are getting blasted with spam
from drug dealers - but - our prescription bills are just overwhelming. Have
any of you dared to order your medicines from Canada? We almost needed to go
get a tire tool to unlock my jaws when I wrote a check for the drugstore
today.
I mentioned to my precious pharmacist that maybe I needed to go to
Canada. His answer was a surprise. He said, "You could go a long way for
that kind of money."
So. Do any of you in the USA get your prescriptions supplied from Canada
and are you comfortable with what you're getting and is the $s really any
better? Please share your thoughts or experience with me. Polly


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  #2  
Old March 27th 04, 06:10 AM
Mary in Oregon
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

if I didn't get samples from my dr, my meds would cost me over $250/month.

--
Mary
http://community.webshots.com/user/mardor1948
"Polly Esther" wrote in message
nk.net...
I am so reluctant to ask this since I know you are getting blasted with

spam
from drug dealers - but - our prescription bills are just overwhelming.

Have
any of you dared to order your medicines from Canada? We almost needed to

go
get a tire tool to unlock my jaws when I wrote a check for the drugstore
today.
I mentioned to my precious pharmacist that maybe I needed to go to
Canada. His answer was a surprise. He said, "You could go a long way for
that kind of money."
So. Do any of you in the USA get your prescriptions supplied from

Canada
and are you comfortable with what you're getting and is the $s really any
better? Please share your thoughts or experience with me. Polly




  #3  
Old March 27th 04, 09:23 AM
Marie Lewis
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I know that our Health Service in the UK comes under a lot of criticism (I
am heartily grateful for the NHS) but at least drug bills are never so high.
I am really sorry for you and wish we could help.

Only about 30% of people pay for drugs at all (children, young people in
full time education, people with some chronic illnesses and everyone over 60
get all drugs completely free.)

Those who pay, pay a maximum of about $11 per item and if the drug cost less
than that anyway, can pay the actual cost.

Of course we pay through taxes: but the sense of security is, IMHO, well
worth it. I cannot imagine anyone watning to go back to the old, pre NHS,
days.

Marie
"Polly Esther" wrote in message
nk.net...
I am so reluctant to ask this since I know you are getting blasted with

spam
from drug dealers - but - our prescription bills are just overwhelming.

Have
any of you dared to order your medicines from Canada? We almost needed to

go
get a tire tool to unlock my jaws when I wrote a check for the drugstore
today.
I mentioned to my precious pharmacist that maybe I needed to go to
Canada. His answer was a surprise. He said, "You could go a long way for
that kind of money."
So. Do any of you in the USA get your prescriptions supplied from

Canada
and are you comfortable with what you're getting and is the $s really any
better? Please share your thoughts or experience with me. Polly




  #4  
Old March 27th 04, 09:48 AM
Cathy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Polly:
As a Canadian, I will give you a short overview of how prescription
costs work in Canada.
By law, a pharmacy is not allowed to charge a markup on prescription
drugs - they do, however, charge a dispensing fee - about $8-10 per each
medicine. Add to that the fact that you are paying in Canadian $ -
which is about .65-.70 US$ for each $1 CDN.
Also, you have to get the script written by a Canadian doctor - an
office visit is about $40 CDN. You bring a copy of your script written
by your US Doctor, so that there isn't any mixup about what you should
be taking.
We also have generic versions of many prescription drugs - I have never
had a problem with the generics on my Blood Pressure meds.
Any other questions, - you can email me directly.

Cathy in Vancouver


Polly Esther wrote:
I am so reluctant to ask this since I know you are getting blasted with spam
from drug dealers - but - our prescription bills are just overwhelming. Have
any of you dared to order your medicines from Canada? We almost needed to go
get a tire tool to unlock my jaws when I wrote a check for the drugstore
today.
I mentioned to my precious pharmacist that maybe I needed to go to
Canada. His answer was a surprise. He said, "You could go a long way for
that kind of money."
So. Do any of you in the USA get your prescriptions supplied from Canada
and are you comfortable with what you're getting and is the $s really any
better? Please share your thoughts or experience with me. Polly



  #5  
Old March 27th 04, 11:09 AM
Johanna Gibson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 08:23:28 -0000, "Marie Lewis"
wrote:

I know that our Health Service in the UK comes under a lot of criticism (I
am heartily grateful for the NHS) but at least drug bills are never so high.
I am really sorry for you and wish we could help.

Only about 30% of people pay for drugs at all (children, young people in
full time education, people with some chronic illnesses and everyone over 60
get all drugs completely free.)

Those who pay, pay a maximum of about $11 per item and if the drug cost less
than that anyway, can pay the actual cost.

Of course we pay through taxes: but the sense of security is, IMHO, well
worth it. I cannot imagine anyone watning to go back to the old, pre NHS,
days.

Marie


Guess what? I'm in full-time education, and have been for about 3
years in the UK, and I pay for my prescriptions. I always have, since
I came over nearly 9 years ago. Someone in the Home Office said that
I could be deported if I every made a claim for any benefit. Is it
true? Who wants to find out?
So I keep paying my £6.30 every month for each of my two
prescriptions. Yes, that is 1/10th of what it would cost for the one
medication in the US. But it annoys me when folks make blanket
statements. I am a permanent British resident, in full-time education
in the UK, and I pay for my medications, and I always have.


-- Jo in Scotland
  #6  
Old March 27th 04, 12:07 PM
Kate Dicey
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default



Marie Lewis wrote:

I know that our Health Service in the UK comes under a lot of criticism (I
am heartily grateful for the NHS) but at least drug bills are never so high.
I am really sorry for you and wish we could help.

Only about 30% of people pay for drugs at all (children, young people in
full time education, people with some chronic illnesses and everyone over 60
get all drugs completely free.)

Those who pay, pay a maximum of about $11 per item and if the drug cost less
than that anyway, can pay the actual cost.

Of course we pay through taxes: but the sense of security is, IMHO, well
worth it. I cannot imagine anyone watning to go back to the old, pre NHS,
days.


This is so true! I am the only one of the three of us who pays for
drugs: James is under 16 and Alan is a type 1 (insulin dependant)
diabetic, so both get all drugs free. In addition, James gets dental
treatment free. Alan doesn't, but if he needs antibiotics for a tooth
abscess, those come free. He also gets a free eye exam every year, but
pays for his specs. There are some good reasons to leave the UK, but
our health service isn't one of them! It doesn't always provide the
best treatment available, but you will find most if us wishing heartily
that the whole thing was a lot less beurocratic, so more money was spent
on treatment and the best drugs and less on paperwork and top heavy
management!
--
Kate XXXXXX
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!
  #7  
Old March 27th 04, 12:25 PM
AliceW
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

This was one of the biggest issues my sister and I had to deal with our mom.
She lives on less than 800 per month but is on 7 medications. One costs $120
per month and one costs $110 per month. The other 5 probably cost around
$100 for all of them per month. Needless to say, that doesn't leave much
left over for anything else like electricity, phone and food. When mom was
handling her meds, she would either not refill the script, take it every
other day or cut the pills in half to save money. She does get $165 per
month towards her medications which helps. We now have a caretaker for her
who handles her meds and gets them refilled when needed. She is also good
at getting a months worth of samples of the most expensive ones from the
doctor and every and again. Other than that, my sister and I pick up the
excess so mom gets what she needs. We just tell her the insurance pays for
it. We actually set up an account that the caretaker can access with a
check card when she gets the meds refilled. I am in charge of mom's
finances and I have access to all the accounts so I can keep track of what
is being spent where. With mom being 1000 miles away, this system works
really well for us.

--
Alice in NJ, Royal Cybrarian
www.ourcyberfamily.us
"Time is that quality of nature which keeps events from happening all at
once. Lately it doesn't seem to be working."
Anonymous




"Kate Dicey" wrote in message
...
:
:
: Marie Lewis wrote:
:
: I know that our Health Service in the UK comes under a lot of criticism
(I
: am heartily grateful for the NHS) but at least drug bills are never so
high.
: I am really sorry for you and wish we could help.
:
: Only about 30% of people pay for drugs at all (children, young people in
: full time education, people with some chronic illnesses and everyone
over 60
: get all drugs completely free.)
:
: Those who pay, pay a maximum of about $11 per item and if the drug cost
less
: than that anyway, can pay the actual cost.
:
: Of course we pay through taxes: but the sense of security is, IMHO, well
: worth it. I cannot imagine anyone watning to go back to the old, pre
NHS,
: days.
:
: This is so true! I am the only one of the three of us who pays for
: drugs: James is under 16 and Alan is a type 1 (insulin dependant)
: diabetic, so both get all drugs free. In addition, James gets dental
: treatment free. Alan doesn't, but if he needs antibiotics for a tooth
: abscess, those come free. He also gets a free eye exam every year, but
: pays for his specs. There are some good reasons to leave the UK, but
: our health service isn't one of them! It doesn't always provide the
: best treatment available, but you will find most if us wishing heartily
: that the whole thing was a lot less beurocratic, so more money was spent
: on treatment and the best drugs and less on paperwork and top heavy
: management!
: --
: Kate XXXXXX
: Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
: http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk
: Click on Kate's Pages and explore!


  #8  
Old March 27th 04, 01:25 PM
AliceW
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I totally agree. Mom doesn't have many expenses now, but she still needs to
have a good quality of life. What gets me going is that even on her income
(remember, it's less than 800 per month), she is only entitled to $10 per
month in food stamps. That's ten bucks - per month! And I cannot begin to
tell you what she has to go through to get those - I know, I go with her
every June to sit and wait and sit and wait and sit and fill out all the
forms. I have no idea how the elderly do this by themselves. But she uses
the food stamps. It gets her milk and bread when she needs it. But then
you see folks in the food line wearing $200 sneakers and $300 jackets and
designer handbags paying for most of their food items in food stamps. Go
figure!

--
Alice in NJ, Royal Cybrarian
www.ourcyberfamily.us
"Time is that quality of nature which keeps events from happening all at
once. Lately it doesn't seem to be working."
Anonymous




"dogsnus" wrote in message
...
: "AliceW" wrote in
: :
:
: This was one of the biggest issues my sister and I had to deal with our
: mom. She lives on less than 800 per month but is on 7 medications. One
: costs $120 per month and one costs $110 per month. The other 5 probably
: cost around $100 for all of them per month. Needless to say, that
: doesn't leave much left over for anything else like electricity, phone
: and food.
: There was a time, when my mom was in an assisted living enviroment that,
even
: WITH state help for her medications, she had a whopping $8.00/month to
live
: on.
: Totally unacceptable care for our elderly folks, IMO.
:
: We went through a series of pure hellish events trying to get her needs
taken
: care of adequately and still allow her enough money for frivolities
: such as oh, food and shelter.
:
: I learned enough to know that if I need taken care of in my old age,
: buy our government, I hope I'm too senile to know about it.
:
: I'm not a bitter person about things, but that is the one thing
: I still have a sour taste in my mouth from dealing with.
: (In Idaho, she was allowed to have a total asset of $200.00 in
: a savings account, but only_ if it was earmarked for burial costs.)
:
: Terri
:
:


  #9  
Old March 27th 04, 02:43 PM
Marie Lewis
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Johanna Gibson" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 08:23:28 -0000, "Marie Lewis"
wrote:

I know that our Health Service in the UK comes under a lot of criticism

(I
am heartily grateful for the NHS) but at least drug bills are never so

high.
I am really sorry for you and wish we could help.

Only about 30% of people pay for drugs at all (children, young people in
full time education, people with some chronic illnesses and everyone over

60
get all drugs completely free.)

Those who pay, pay a maximum of about $11 per item and if the drug cost

less
than that anyway, can pay the actual cost.

Of course we pay through taxes: but the sense of security is, IMHO, well
worth it. I cannot imagine anyone watning to go back to the old, pre

NHS,
days.

Marie


Guess what? I'm in full-time education, and have been for about 3
years in the UK, and I pay for my prescriptions. I always have, since
I came over nearly 9 years ago. Someone in the Home Office said that
I could be deported if I every made a claim for any benefit. Is it
true? Who wants to find out?
So I keep paying my £6.30 every month for each of my two
prescriptions. Yes, that is 1/10th of what it would cost for the one
medication in the US. But it annoys me when folks make blanket
statements. I am a permanent British resident, in full-time education
in the UK, and I pay for my medications, and I always have.


-- Jo in Scotland


I do not know your age, but I was referring to young people under 18. You
misinterpreted my comment. It is your choice whether or not you claim.




  #10  
Old March 27th 04, 03:14 PM
Bonnie
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Polly Esther wrote:
I am so reluctant to ask this since I know you are getting blasted with spam
from drug dealers - but - our prescription bills are just overwhelming. Have
any of you dared to order your medicines from Canada? We almost needed to go
get a tire tool to unlock my jaws when I wrote a check for the drugstore
today.
I mentioned to my precious pharmacist that maybe I needed to go to
Canada. His answer was a surprise. He said, "You could go a long way for
that kind of money."
So. Do any of you in the USA get your prescriptions supplied from Canada
and are you comfortable with what you're getting and is the $s really any
better? Please share your thoughts or experience with me. Polly



I have wondered about this myself. Presently we have a
prescription plan and I take 7 medicines daily for which I
must pay $30 eash a month. Now I have just been diagnosed
with something new and will soon be taking at least 2 more
drugs daily when they find out what stage I'm at.
Retirement for DH means no more reduced costs and that
really is frightening.

--
Bonnie, the Quilt Lady
NJ



 




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