I live on a budget. Who doesn’t these days, right? This budget is tight. More than tight. It has no wiggle room, and more times than not a few bills have to go unpaid.
One of the biggest costs I face monthly is for medication. I should likely preface this with the fact that I have no real, life-threatening illnesses. I have a few lifelong issues that are healthily maintained by said medication. What is ironic to me is that it is not the prescription medications that put my budget over the top. It is what formerly WAS a prescription.
Many of my medicines have changed over the years from a prescription to an “over the counter” medication. These OTC meds now are not covered by my insurance. Because of this, the cost is much higher. Currently, I require four prescription meds. I get them at CVS. I get them in a generic form. The total for those four medications? $11.84.
At the same time, I require four OTC medications. The total payment for those each month? $87.44. Yes. Ouch. If I cannot take these medications, I will get sicker, and if not maintained, my illnesses would require hospitalization, surgeries or far more expensive treatments I cannot afford.
The world of medicine makes me incredibly frustrated. And it is not just about the bottom line or the price tags involved. I sit waiting for my medications thinking of these things. I think I’m lucky. Given all the illnesses and devastating prognoses out there, I’m ultimately just fine. But there are so many out there that are not fine.
Not everyone can afford their medications. Not everyone can afford to go to a doctor to even find out if they NEED medication. Some know their ailment. Some don’t. Some know all they need is that medicine. There it is. It is behind the counter. It is just right there, just out of reach. It is guarded by elite pharmacists. They cannot let said guard down unless, of course, you have that coveted piece of paper.
If the right person with the right degree was paid the right amount, they might be able to diagnose you with the right medication. Then you need to take the precious documentation to the pharmacist to get the pills you need. They may be the pills you need to live. They may be the pills you need to stay sane, to operate “normally.” They may be the shots you need to have a balanced chemistry. They may be the inhaler that keeps you breathing. And where are they? They’re there. They are available. They are useful. They are just behind that “desk.”
They are not accessible for everyone. They are for those that afford them. Sure, those of a certain age may be able to qualify for federal assistance. Some may be provided aid. But many just struggle to pay.
I find it frustrating. I do get that doctors are required to diagnose. I do get that professionals, with real educations, need to identify illnesses. I just don’t think it should cost people so much.
Some argue doctors pay a lot for a detailed education. That is a whole other argument I don’t have time for here. And I do appreciate all they must learn, and also appreciate that they deserve fair compensation for that. What I don’t agree about is who should foot the bill.
People are sick and dying every day. How many of those could be saved or healthily maintained by medications they cannot afford. And what about cures? Call me crazy, but how is it we have a PLETHORA of drugs that can cure ED, but we can’t cure cancer?
Many argue, and I’d agree, that a cure for cancer would be less cost-effective to big business pharmaceuticals than is the constant need for maintenance drugs, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments. Big business makes a lot of money from all of that. If a cure was found, and patients only needed that ONE drug, well, what would the profit be in that?
I’m sure I don’t need to remind you about people like folks like Mylan upping the price of an Epipen by 400% or America’s smirking sweetheart, Martin Shkreli, who jacked HIV drugs up 5,000% just because he could. Companies are jacking prices all the time. Everybody’s gotta make a buck, right?
I just have a major problem with “bucks” coming from those that are sick, in need or unhealthy. Do I have a solution? No, of course not. I’m just a busy mom trying to make her budget work. What I do know is medication is something, in a modern country, I should not have to worry about the cost of drugs I need to live.
See also:
Montco Mommy: What is the Age of Freedom?
Montco Mommy: A Sick Cycle Carousel
Montco Mommy: Miserable Monday's MacGyver Moment
Montco Mommy: Height Matters(?)
Montco Mommy: The Challenges of Picky-Eating Children
