I don't understand the drug industry. Ok, ok, nobody does. Let me be more specific: I don't understand what's going on with one of my glaucoma drugs, Xalatan
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They're desperately trying to build brand loyalty while they still can? I can't come up with anything else that seems even remotely plausible -- you're right, it is odd.
I have no brand loyalty for drugs (or much of anything else where I can't perceive a difference). If my doctor says there's equivalent, I will take the generic that costs me $10 a pop (and with the lower overall price) instead of the name brand that costs me $25 a pop. (My insurance company charges the higher co-pay for all name-brand drugs, not just the ones for which a generic is available.)
Yeah, if they're not equivalent, all bets are off. My doctor has high hopes in this particular case, but of course we won't know until there's actually one available that people can start testing.
I believe that the card covers your copay, but the insurance company still has a higher payment with the expensive drug than they would with a cheaper drug, so Pfizer still makes more money than they would otherwise.
"This American Life" did a story about this tactic during one of their shows about the health care industry; I don't remember which show it was, but here's an NPR story on the same subject: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113969968
So it sounds like the best use of this card (taking the long-term into account) is for me to use it as if I didn't have insurance. I might only get three months free instead of four, but I won't be helping to raise my own insurance premiums later.
They drive us nuts, frankly, mainly because folks treat them as point-of-sale coupons, and they're not. We fill the Rx, then the patient comes in to pick it up and hands the clerk the card at the counter. Now we have to cancel the transaction, reverse out the claim, input the card as a secondary insurance, bill the primary again, then process the coordination-of-benefits transaction. All while the patient is tapping their fingers on the counter. But, of course, I digress.
Mostly, they're for brand-only drugs in high teirs where there are generics in the same categoiry. I don't understand the economic mechanics, either. One of the most popular programs is for Lipitor, which has staved off a generic for *way* longer than anyone expected. You have to understand, as soon as a generic comes out, the brand market share is gone. Just...gone. Pffft. So it's in their interest to pay their lawyers whatever it takes. How they're managing to eat the coupon charges, though, that I don't quite get.
What is the least-disruptive way for me to use this card? I was planning on just getting the freebies at the grocery store (since I have to present the card and I've never actually been to my pharmacist's establishment, doing everything by phone and delivery instead). So I would drop off the prescription before shopping and pick up after; I can tell them I have the card when I drop off, but is there anything more I should do to make things easier?
There are different manifestations of glaucoma and different drugs attack different types (or aspects of the same types). I don't know what specifically marijuana does to help glaucoma and so can't say which drug makers should be concerned. (If anyone should be concerned. They're not going to write prescriptions for the raw plant, right? I assume they'll package it in a pill or some such, which I imagine is way less exciting to the pot fans.)
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I have no brand loyalty for drugs (or much of anything else where I can't perceive a difference). If my doctor says there's equivalent, I will take the generic that costs me $10 a pop (and with the lower overall price) instead of the name brand that costs me $25 a pop. (My insurance company charges the higher co-pay for all name-brand drugs, not just the ones for which a generic is available.)
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"This American Life" did a story about this tactic during one of their shows about the health care industry; I don't remember which show it was, but here's an NPR story on the same subject: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113969968
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So it sounds like the best use of this card (taking the long-term into account) is for me to use it as if I didn't have insurance. I might only get three months free instead of four, but I won't be helping to raise my own insurance premiums later.
Reply
They drive us nuts, frankly, mainly because folks treat them as point-of-sale coupons, and they're not. We fill the Rx, then the patient comes in to pick it up and hands the clerk the card at the counter. Now we have to cancel the transaction, reverse out the claim, input the card as a secondary insurance, bill the primary again, then process the coordination-of-benefits transaction. All while the patient is tapping their fingers on the counter. But, of course, I digress.
Mostly, they're for brand-only drugs in high teirs where there are generics in the same categoiry. I don't understand the economic mechanics, either. One of the most popular programs is for Lipitor, which has staved off a generic for *way* longer than anyone expected. You have to understand, as soon as a generic comes out, the brand market share is gone. Just...gone. Pffft. So it's in their interest to pay their lawyers whatever it takes. How they're managing to eat the coupon charges, though, that I don't quite get.
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