An Rx Ripoff!

As you may know, I spent more than 40 years in the healthcare industry.  

I started back when it was the Gold Standard the world over, and then watched it fold over the years like a house of cards.  So much so that I pass along my own experience at trying to obtain a much needed blood thinner at a fair price.  And how there's a systematic effort by Big Pharma to screw me, and by extension,  you, absolutely blind...

They told me that I had "V-fib."  Or, ventricular fibrilation.  It seems one of my heart's ventricles was beating to its own drum.  And I needed a blood thinner to prevent a heart attack.  That got my attention.  

The preferred medication, my cardiologist told me, was Eloquis.  You've no doubt seen the very expensive ads its manufacturer runs on TV.  And I was about to learn how they could afford them.  I asked my pharmacist how much this new Rx was going to deplete my ever-dwindling stash of $Cash.  So get this:  A month's supply of Eliquis retailed at $606.00 a month.  And even with a great PPO, the co-pay would set me back $180.00 a month.  

That's serious money for an old guy with a bad back who needs the money as much as the medication.

So the cardiologist closed the door and mentioned under his breath that he just might know a way around my problem.  He said he had patients who were ordering an Eloquis generic called Apixoban from a pharmacy in Canada.  And that they were getting it for a mere fraction of what Americans are now paying.

I thanked him for his suggestion, never figuring it might actually work for me, too.  A couple of days later my phone rang.  It was a lady at the "Canadian Pharmacy Store."  Catchy name, I thought.  She proceeded to inform me I could order a 3 month supply of Apixoban, Eloquis' generic, for a yuuuuge savings.  And here's how...

I would place the order with this "middleman," who would then pass it along to a pharmacy in beautiful downtown London, England.  This pharmacy would then fill the Rx and send it to me directly.  In short, I would order from a store 3,000 miles away, which would then pass the Rx off to another provider 3,000 miles further away, which would then mail it to me from 6,000 miles away.  And get this:  3 months of Apixoban for...ta da!...

$70.55.

So, $1,818 worth of Eloquis's equivolent for $Seventy Bucks.  Why?  How?

Even though Eloquis is off-patent, meaning it's older than 17 years, its manufacturer is fighting in court for additional years.  Their restraining order prevents any U.S. pharmacy from selling Apixoban, its generic equivolent.  In other words, Apixoban is not available in the United States!  Except if you buy it from England!

Are you shit*ing me?

Anyone who thinks this is the way things ought to be is spending too much time at the weed store.  A pharmaceutical developed in the United States cannot be purchased in the United States.  Think of this as an adverse tariff.  One which needs a flag thrown on the play.  

I can now afford not to have a heart attack.  And you can too.  Those of you out there in Internetland who need this drug but cannot afford it, now you can.  Go to your cardiologist and demand he/she/it do the same for you.  

I'm happy to help...