what gives with these medications? how can the pharmaceutical business's sleep at night? The cost are absolutely devastating, does anyone have any answers? anyone know when the cost may drop? i though lamictal was painfully high, until i went to fill a subscription for abilify. I couldn't believe the cost, I couldn't afford to have it filled, same with serequel (sp?). I might have to go back to the cheap lithium again and maybe mixed with lamictal. The side effects may be bothersome but at least with this cocktail I'll be able to feed myself too.
Are you on any kind of Health Insurance? With mine, I paid $5.00 for Abilify, verses $500.00! Drug prices are insane. With certain insurance, or even people without it, it's usually best to get a generic brand. They pretty much do the same thing, with the same or close to the same sideaffects. And they usually cost half the price.
Sometimes I really think the "name" of the drug spikes up the price. I know most drugs don't cost nearly as much to make as what they sell it for. Hopefully if my advice doesn't help, someone else will have some that will help. But from me, all I have to sugest is to...
1. Get (or switch) insurance
2. Generic Brand
3. Find some on the internet (not a good idea, I might add)
4. Sell your soul
My prescription insurance only pays half of brand name drugs (no generic for abilify). My doctor prescribed 5 mg/daily for 30 days.I found out that a 30 mg prescription is about the same cost as the 5 mg. I'm going to ask the doctor for a 30 day, 30 mg prescription. I can break the pill in fourths and have a four month supply. I can afford that.
I was just gonna tell ya that I get 10 mg and break them into 5mg, it saves a bit of $$$. They break really well with one of those pill splitters, I bought one when I used to break my Lamictals in half to save $$.
Toby and Barbarac, check out the 30 mg prices on abilify. You can get so much more for your money. That is, IF, your doctor would prescribe such a bigger dose.
I talked to my doctor today about increasing the abilify and lamictal doses, so I could get much more for my money, but she refuses. She also refuses to up my lamictal from 250mg/daily to 300mg/daily. I really think that an up on the lamictal would even me out totally, and then I wouldn't need an added drug, but refused again. She believes the very max for bipolar's on lamictal is 250mg, and she won't budge. I like her a lot but she's a bit conservative;; I'm thinking of looking for another doctor. Any one know of a good, not-so-conservative, NJ doctor?
