The cost of EpiPen continues to rise

a reply to: seasonal

Think of it this way: Do Americans live any longer than people in other first world countries with socialized health care?

No. They do not.

a reply to: Bedlam

I have a shellfish/iodine allergy. I had to be once be given epinephrine due to (we believe) me accidentally drinking out of a cup that I thought was mine, but was not, and that person had been washing down shrimps from a buffet.

I started having difficulty breathing and my lips became rock hard. EMTs administered the epinephrine and I ended up in the hospital for two days (the first 24 hrs in a cardiac intensive care unit as the epi made heart rate go insane). I had an "injector kit" prescribed after that incident, and I can remember when EpiPens first came out and they were moderately priced, but much more than the injection kit. I don't think they even sell those kits anymore, because of dosage issues. You had to put the syringe in a little bottle and draw the correct amount (on the rx label). The EpiPen is so much easier.

I am lucky in that I can take precautions to NEVER encounter shellfish. I don't eat out at restaurants that serve shellfish. If I'm at a social situation I don't eat, and drink bottled water. My relatives know not to include me if they are doing anything shellfish related (cross contamination is expected in a home kitchen).

All that said, I don't know how the Bee Sting and Peanut allergic get by. Finances dictate that I can't get any refill on my pens (but again, I feel I'm avoiding the allergen). The other two are easy to encounter in daily life and they MUST carry the pen. To me it's shameful that politicians grandstand on cheap meds (hey! Free birth control!) and turn a blind (big pharm and liability lawyers campaign cash gotta keep coming) while ignoring a situation like this.

a reply to: marg6043

I am guessing you never had to get out your syringe, open the package, get out your medicine vial, open the package, break the seal on the vial, fill your syringe (carefully measuring the correct dose), and inject yourself while having an anaphylactic reaction.

originally posted by: Bedlam
What are you guys paying for epipens, anyway? That $600 each number is patently ridiculous.

It's for the pure out-of-pocket cost for a 2-pack. No co-pay, not company coupons, etc.

It makes no sense to increase the cost of the product because competitors are leaving the market. Why price your product out of reach of the people who need it?

More likely the costs are going up because insurance middle-man allows for the product to be priced upwards, just like all other government meddling.

Which is exactly why 'universal healthcare' (snark) is the exact opposite of the solution.

originally posted by: Atsbhct
a reply to: seasonal

Think of it this way: Do Americans live any longer than people in other first world countries with socialized health care?

No. They do not.

By the same token are those other countries experiencing significantly longer lifespans in exchange for being over-taxed peons to the state?

Nope. I'll stick with the USA. The rest of the world can have their gilded cages.

originally posted by: Teikiatsu

Which is exactly why 'universal healthcare' (snark) is the exact opposite of the solution.

What are you talking about? People with true universal healthcare pay little to nothing for meds.

originally posted by: Teikiatsu

originally posted by: Atsbhct
a reply to: seasonal

Think of it this way: Do Americans live any longer than people in other first world countries with socialized health care?

No. They do not.

By the same token are those other countries experiencing significantly longer lifespans in exchange for being over-taxed peons to the state?


Nope. I'll stick with the USA. The rest of the w/orld can have their gilded cages.

What are their tax rates?

Here in the US we have:
med insurance costs,
individual deductibles,
family deductibles,
medicare,
medicaid,
out of pocket costs,
out of network costs,
DEATH BY A THOUSAND PAPER CUTS

originally posted by: seasonal
Here in the US we are told to run in fear from a single payer system. Because they have death panels, LONG wait times, Dr.s stop being Dr.s and care is horrible. What is your experiences?

What do you mean with death panels?

The UK has a great health service and I have met Americans in London who assumed it was terrible, they thought it was a bureaucratic nightmare with long queues. It's nothing like that: most doctors and nurses I have met (and worked with) are professional and warm and even though you do have waiting lists for most referrals, you never have to worry about having money to pay for it. The beauty of the NHS is that it treats people according to their needs and regardless of their financial and stocial status. British people are lucky to have the NHS.

One thing I have to repeat is that, because I live here, I know Big Pharma is not real and I will give you cancer as an example: cancer detection and treatment in the UK are really effective, and there's one reason for it: the NHS saves millions by detecting cancer early, which contradicts what some say about Big Pharma. But they don't live in Europe, where socialized care is the norm.

originally posted by: Teikiatsu

originally posted by: Atsbhct
a reply to: seasonal

Think of it this way: Do Americans live any longer than people in other first world countries with socialized health care?

No. They do not.

By the same token are those other countries experiencing significantly longer lifespans in exchange for being over-taxed peons to the state?

Nope. I'll stick with the USA. The rest of the world can have their gilded cages.

You guys pay more per capita to get a worse standard of care than most European countries with socialised healthcare.

I guess you turkeys just love voting for Christmas.

a reply to: TheAmazingYeti

This is a perfect of example of how Corporate greed takes precedence over saving lives. This hits home because my niece is extremely allergic to peanut butter. Just the smell of it can cause a reaction! She has been rushed to the emergency room on two occasions because she unknowingly consumed food that had peanut oil or pine nuts in it. The last time her husband rushed her to the hospital she had to use two EpiPens because her throat closed up and she couldn't breath!

Pharmaceutical companies should be held accountable and fined when they use the vulnerability of the consumer to reap excessive profits. When I heard this, I was outraged! Where's the compassion for human lives? It's disgusting when these pharmaceutical companies already have a captive market and they use it to rape the consumer and ignore the possible repercussions of their actions. These companies are already reaping billions of dollars in profits!

a reply to: craig732

My husband is allergic to ant bites, he while in the military had to carry the syringe kit with him all the time.

Back then that was the only way to help, beside that, the pen is just a temporary fix you still have to go to the emergency room.

The company that makes the pen is gouging horribly, they had manage to become the only seller in the US of the pen making sure that they are the only ones to profit from it, remember before the so call convenient pen it was just an injection kit

Right now you can get the pen cheaper from Pfizer 158 by Canadian pharmacy.

I have a good friend that right now can not spend the 650 dollars for her daughter pen, we are working to see if we can help.

It's sad when pharmaceuticals in this nation can monopolized the market eliminating competition in order to profit from people.

a reply to: WeRpeons

The CEO is going down, once congress tag the practices of the company gouging they are starting to lose their market shares.

They are going down big time.

a reply to: kaylaluv

Yes you are right, before Obama care my friend insurance paid for the epi pen her out of pocket cost was only 30 dollars, when her insurance drop her because Obama care, it did not pay anything for most of her medications and the epi pen was not even covered, after she got out of Obama care she found an insurance that while is good for her needs, still will not pay for the epi pen cost now that is up to 650 dollars, she was offered a one time coupon for 100 dollars.


This is Obama care at works, good for nothing.

originally posted by: TheAmazingYetiThe cost of EpiPen continues to rise

The cost of an EpiPen twinpack in Australia is ~$38. This price has remained stable since the 1990s.

Why? Because we have universal government healthcare over here...

originally posted by: Atsbhct
a reply to: seasonal

Think of it this way: Do Americans live any longer than people in other first world countries with socialized health care?

No. They do not.

Good point. In fact, Americans pay more for less and their lifespan is shorter: