by PharmacyChecker.com | Sep 18, 2015 | Drug Prices, Saving Money on Prescription Drugs
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As reported today in The New York Times, a new study shows that the diabetes drug Jardiance (empagliflozin) can reduce the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 38%. The drug not only reduces blood sugar levels, but also blood pressure and arterial stiffness leading to a reduced risk of heart failure.
The cost of Jardiance in the U.S. is about $350 to $400 for just 30 pills. It would be a shame if people could not get this medication due to its high cost. Fortunately, this drug is available from licensed pharmacies in other countries (where the price is controlled or negotiated) at prices which are about 70% lower than in the U.S. As shown on PharmacyChecker.com, the 10 mg dose is available from several verified international online pharmacies for about $110 a month or, better, if purchasing a 3 month supply, it’s under $300. The 25 mg dose is only a few dollars more.
Tagged with: cardiovascular death, Drug Prices, empagliflozin, Jardiance, Online Pharmacies, type 2 diabetes
by PharmacyChecker.com | Sep 10, 2015 | Drug Prices, Prescription Drug Reports
More than six million Americans suffer from atrial fibulation (AFib), a heart condition that puts them at a much higher risk for blood clots and can cause a stroke. Strokes are most often seen in people over 65, and can lead to paralysis and death.
There are many anticoagulants (blood thinning drugs) used to prevent strokes, Coumadin (warfarin) being one of the oldest and most commonly used. But Coumadin is not right for some people: it can cause heavy internal bleeding and requires regular and frequent blood tests.
One of the newer medications, Eliquis, has been shown to have a lower risk of major bleeding and is better for people suffering from kidney disease. It is also effective as a medication for preventing deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT is caused when blood clots form in large veins, usually in the legs, and often in those with restricted mobility, such as people who are recovering from surgery.
But Eliquis can be expensive. If you don’t have insurance or are underinsured and have to pay out-of-pocket, the retail price is around $1,182.00 for a 90 day supply at a local U.S. pharmacy. Americans are at serious risk if they can’t afford this medication, especially seniors who are most likely to suffer a stroke. Despite Medicare Part D coverage, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, more than 13% of poorer Americans over the age of 65 did not take their medication as prescribed.1 And that can put their health and even their lives at risk.
There are ways of reducing the cost of Eliquis (see the table below). If you use a pharmacy discount card, you may be able to get it down to about $1,021 at your local U.S. pharmacy. But that still works out to over $4,080 per year. For many Americans those prices are out of reach. Fortunately, Eliquis 5mg, 90 days’ supply, is only $401.99 using a verified international online pharmacy, a savings of more than $3,100 versus the retail pharmacy price over a year’s time.
If you have AFib, and are prescribed Eliquis by a doctor, it’s vital for you to stay on your medication. Hopefully these price comparisons help you evaluate the best option for your health and savings. If you decide to buy internationally, remember, when using an online pharmacy, makes sure it’s one that’s been verified by PharmacyChecker.com.
Compare drug prices for Eliquis.
Eliquis 5 mg Savings (90 day supply)
| Program
| Price
| Savings over Local Pharmacy
| Percent Savings
| Annual Savings
|
| Local Pharmacy* |
$1,181.97 |
— |
— |
— |
| Pharmacy Discount Card* |
$1,021.88 |
$160.09 |
14% |
$640.36 |
| International Online Pharmacy |
$401.99 |
$779.99 |
66% |
$3,119.94 |
*Savings based on lowest price listed on PharmacyChecker.com compared to local U.S. pharmacy price (8/21/15).
1 Center for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db184.htm
Tagged with: affordable, affordable prescriptions, afib, coumadin, Deep Vein Thrombosis, Drug Prices, Eliquis, Prescription Drug Savings Reports, stroke
by Gabriel Levitt, President, PharmacyChecker.com and Prescription Justice | May 6, 2015 | Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies
Sorry to sound macabre, but you could die if you don’t fill and adhere to your healthcare practitioner’s prescription for Xarelto (ravaroxaban). It is an anticoagulant, a medication that lowers the rate of blood clots and thereby lowers the risk of stroke. Especially if you were diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation, a condition characterized by problems associated with irregular heart rate or rhythm, it’s likely that you were prescribed an anticoagulant, such as Xarelto, Pradaxa, or Warfarin. I’m talking about Xarelto because it’s a relatively new brand name drug, which is not available as a generic, and some people who need it might not be able to afford it. It is not necessarily the best anticoagulant out there for you. Alternative medications are available and in use.
If you don’t have insurance or your insurance does not cover Xarelto, then you could face the out-of-pocket costs, which are about $1,176 for a three-month supply of the 20mg pill. If you can afford that then consider yourself lucky. For those who cannot, you could try a Xarelto patient assistance program. Alternatively, ask your doctor or other healthcare provider, and do your own research about another anti-coagulant, such as Pradaxa and Warfarin, that could work for you.
If you do not qualify for a patient assistance program, and your healthcare provider insists on Xarelto, there are verified international online pharmacies that sell brand name Xarelto at a very low price. In fact, the lowest cost international option runs you $2.08/pill, which is $187.20 for 90 tablets. That’s a savings of 84% or almost $1,000 over three months, $4,000 over the course of a year, versus the cash price at some U.S. pharmacies.
For those interested in where your medications come from: the Xarelto 20mg you buy in the U.S. is manufactured in Puerto Rico, according to the U.S. label. Our research shows that the lowest cost international option for Xarelto was manufactured in Germany by Bayer Pharma AG.
I started this post noting the mortality risks of not taking prescribed medications. I’d like to now return to this public health issue not in order to inflame or dramatize but to remind consumers and health officials about the public crisis of high drug prices. Strokes often cause death. Not taking your prescribed anticoagulant can increase your chance of having a stroke. Thirty-five million Americans don’t fill a prescription each year due to high prices; if Xarelto was one of these medicines, then its high price may have prevented people from obtaining it. Some of those people, unfortunately, may have had strokes and passed away. The point here is to not ignore your healthcare provider’s prescription and advice. Follow-up quickly and fill your prescription. If you can’t afford it, then pursue all available options.
Tagged with: Atrial Fibrillation, Bayer Pharmer AG, Drug Prices, patient assistance program, Pradaxa, Warfarin, Xarelto
