Malarone cash price (according to walgreens) is $900 per month. With insurance I'm paying $250 per month.
Good gosh. How can you afford to be on this drug long term??
This caught me by surprise.
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
I think that's Mepron prices you've got there. (unless you're taking 5 or 6 a day)
If you are taking 30/month it sounds like it'd be cheaper to not get it through your insurance.
Costco was getting $160.61 last month for 30 Malarone. My local pharmacy will meet their price. (It is > 1/5 of my monthly income.)
I've been putting off refilling it because it's so much money. Sometimes I just get a week at a time.
Posted by Visual Afterimage Man (Member # 10435) on :
Forget it.. I'm taking the script back to wallgreens. They are terrible by the way.
Going to costco over lunch. It's funny, cuz the phamacist was very questioning WHY I'm taking malarone. She said, I've only dispensed this once before.
None of her business! Made me very upset.
Posted by Vermont_Lymie (Member # 9780) on :
Yes, be sure to call around. I was also surprised to find how much price varies between pharmacies.
Posted by Lymeblue (Member # 6897) on :
I'm with True on that one..sometimes I even refill for a week......
Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
GlaxoSmithKline (maker of malarone and mepron) has 2 programs that might be of help.
One, Bridges to Access, I think is more for people without ins coverage.
But they have another program for people whose insurance "undercovers" their drugs. It's some kind of a reimbursement program.
I don't remember the name, but can probably dig up the phone number for it, if you want it. Or you can call them directly and ask about it.
That price seems really high for malarone - usually mepron is pricier. (my mepron co-pay is $200 but malarone co-pay is under $60).
Hope this helps...
Posted by Marcie (Member # 10070) on :
What dosage are you on? I take one a day, and got a 30day refill last month. I paid 40
dollars w/ insurance. I really got lucky. The pharmacist gave me the bottle of Malarone w/ 100
pills in it. My doctor only wrote the presciption for 30 and then charged my for only
30. I really did not catch on for a few days. I looked at the bottle and thought this really
looks like more than thirty pills. This was at CVS. I have spent so much money their I felt
like it was gift to me, so I never said anything.
Posted by Visual Afterimage Man (Member # 10435) on :
I AM SO MAD!
OK so I went to CostCo over lunch to have the script transferred to them. I wait 30 mins only to have the phamacist come over and talk to me.
Says the dose is much higher than recommended and wanted to know what this was being prescribed for. I told him that was between my doctor and I.
At that point he got irritable (of course, cuz I wouldn't satisfy his curiosity) and said that he cant help me until he talks to the doctor directly to confirm that dose.
Nice.. Good waste of a lunch hour. Because of course the doctors office is closed from 12-1 for lunch, so no one answered the phone.
What is the deal with this?????? Just fill the script and stop asking questions.
Posted by beachcomber (Member # 5320) on :
How much are you taking? I took 6 a day at first and, yup, at that dose it is expensive. Of course, at that dose, I nearly lost my mind as well as my wallet.
Just to compare, Walgreens charges $1200 for a 30 day supply of Mepron sachets, before insurance. Atovaquone is expensive stuff. Got to shop around.
The pharmacist really has no place asking why such a large dose, unless he just isn't familiar with the med. That's not a reassuring thought. It's not like it is an addictive narcotic.
Posted by Visual Afterimage Man (Member # 10435) on :
Well,
He said that he needed to know in order to cover himself in case of an overdose.. you know, CYA.
My response was, I don't see how MY telling you WHAT this is prescribed for changes any liablity in the event of an overdose. My condition is a private matter, discussed with my doctor. Maybe he'll tell you, but I highly doubt it.
What is it about people?
Posted by Visual Afterimage Man (Member # 10435) on :
Ok.. at last.
Here is the deal.
CostCo will *NOT* fill my prescription even after talking to my doctor. They say that it is NOT to be used for anything other than Malaria and will not sell the drug to someone who's being treated for something else.
Nice. So now I can pay top dollar at CVS. Thats assuming that CVS will even fill my prescription.
As if this disease wasn't bad enough... now we get to deal with everyone who gets in the way of our healing. I don't have the energy to fight with this idiots.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by Visual Afterimage Man: CostCo will *NOT* fill my prescription even after talking to my doctor. They say that it is NOT to be used for anything other than Malaria and will not sell the drug to someone who's being treated for something else.
That's HORRIBLE!!!! Posted by Visual Afterimage Man (Member # 10435) on :
Sorry for the roller coaster, but that is exactly what I am going through.
I just spent the last hour at CVS. CVS says the dose is way too high. 6 pills a day is just a bit over $1000 per month. Uhhh.. What.
Well CVS couldn't fill the script because Costco had an insurance claim on the script. What the? After calling Costco they did actually fill it. What??? After telling my Dr's Office that they will NOT fill it, they did it after all?
This is crazy.. and now I'm worried that 6 per day is going to hurt me.
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
quote:Originally posted by Visual Afterimage Man: Says the dose is much higher than recommended and wanted to know what this was being prescribed for.
Just fill the script and stop asking questions.
Actually, the pharmacist does have the responsibility to check the meds if he thinks it may be an overdose.
They go to school for six years and get a doctorate in pharmacology.
If they knowingly give a patient a medication that will harm him, they can be held liable, and can lose their license.
A nurse can also lose her license if she gives a patient a harmful medication, even if a physician has ordered it, and a pharmacist has filled it. As a former R.N., I learned to question any med that looked out of line.
This can be inconvenient for the patient when the medication and dosage is not the usual prescription.
So, the pharmacist is not trying to drive you crazy, even though he's doing a good job of it.
Carol
Posted by Ticktoxic (Member # 6876) on :
You're lucky that you have a Dr that knows what he's doing. 3 tabs of Malarone twice a day is the correct doseage. It's equivalent to 2 tsp (750 mg) of Mepron because each Malarone tab has 250 mg...so 3 tabs equals 750 mg of Atovaquone
6 tabs of Malarone a day will not be any harder on your body than 2 tsp Mep + Zith or Ketek or Biaxin + Artemisinin or Artemesia.
1 or 2 tabs a day will not get rid of Babs, so do you want to nurse it along over years of Tx and let it get even more resistant, or do you want to get rid of it? The Costco pharmacist was out of line big time, but at least you shouldn't have any more problems with him in the future.
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
While 6 tabs of Malarone would give you the same amount of Atovaquone (Mepron) you would also be getting 600 mgs of Proguanil (another anti-malarial/parasitic).
I was under the belief (perhaps misguided) that the added drug also worked with the Mepron component perhaps making it more, or differently, effective at lower dose.
Just something else to look into.
I'd be tempted to double check with the doc and be sure what they wrote is what they intended. And get exact dosing instructions... split dose? pulsed?
(I'd be tempted to start of slow and work my way up but am a med whimp with a high bug load. Blah, blah, blah, no medical anything just my thoughts.)
However it plays out I do hope it helps.
Posted by Vanilla (Member # 11155) on :
Call the head pharmacist at the corporate office of Costco and read him the riot act. I have more than once and he does take care of things.
I get my Malarone at the Novato CA Costco and they know exactly what it is for and let me have my meds. Of course I am paying out of pocket because Bridges to *******s will only let you have 30 pills a year.
I only take one pill a day and I feel I am stamping out my babs but then again I also take Tibetan Herbs. Mepron did not get rid of my babs and I feel much better on a half a dose of Malarone a day.
I will be buying more Malarone at Costco this week if I can figure out where I put my scripts the other day when I got home from the LLMD. My Costco pharmacy is a nightmare when it comes to speed and customer service or intelligence.
Posted by Visual Afterimage Man (Member # 10435) on :
Carrol in PA,
You are 100% right.. I spoke with the Pharmacist and he said that I have to agree not to sue him.. Sue him?? Why would I? I'm following my MD's direction..
I can't believe that the nurse, the pharmacist etc would be liable. Crazy.. we are such a sue happy country.. The doc ordered it, the doc prescribed the dose.... why would anyone else be liable (I know that they are however). Crazy.
Remember, costco finally agreed to fill it.. even though they told me to go to He!!. Whatever, I'm getting my meds.. at a bargin price of $238.00 after insurance. I guess that equates to about $1.35 per pill after insurance. I'm now waiting to hear from the insurance that I owe them money.
This is the worst.
Posted by polar blast (Member # 9142) on :
the dose is very high...it is not the same as mepron..4 a day put me in the hospital...could not breath... eric
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