[hamster-bamster]

It just dawned on me... I was trying to make a choice among Trileptal, Abilify and Tegretol (three options given by the p-doc) without regard to the cost! This is because now I am getting meds for free. But this is only until January; then I will have a hefty copay and may potentially be without any coverage. So I should find out in advance how much these drugs would cost without insurance. I am sure Abilify is the most expensive of them. Does anyone know its true price tag?

[Eliza Jane]

I haven't paid out of pocket for it in a few years, but it was very pricey. Price can vary pharmacy to pharmacy (I found the best price at Costco). I'd just call your local pharmacy and see what they'd charge you for each. They are happy to tell you.

Best,
EJ

[hamster-bamster]

They will ask me for dosage as price would depend on the quantity. What should I tell them?

[Setso]

I think there is a generic version now, aripiprazole?

At Walmart, you can get most generic meds for 4$ without insurance.

[moremi]

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

It just dawned on me... I was trying to make a choice among Trileptal, Abilify and Tegretol (three options given by the p-doc) without regard to the cost! This is because now I am getting meds for free. But this is only until January; then I will have a hefty copay and may potentially be without any coverage. So I should find out in advance how much these drugs would cost without insurance. I am sure Abilify is the most expensive of them. Does anyone know its true price tag?

You should be able to contact the manufacturer and they should have a program that you can get free medication through them. Its worth it to check it out. You have to go through an interview on the phone with them and have some paperwork filled out by your doctor and get a 3 month refill from your doc every month and you can get serveral different expensive meds this way. Depends on the manufacturer. Im not sure if Abilify is one but I think it is.

try this link

http://www.samsca.com/pdf/patient-as...on-form-pi.pdf

http://otsuka-us.com/Resources/Pages...ssistance.aspx

brystol myers

http://www.bms.com/products/Pages/programs.aspx

[tallwaters]

I get a 3 month supply of abilify from brystol myers squibb for free.

[sweepy62]

600 dollars without insurance

[Moreta]

My insurance page says abilify is $650 without insurance and that trileptal is $42 without insurance. Tegretol is $4 at walmart for 60 pills of 200 mg.

[Setso]

Originally Posted by sweepy62

600 dollars without insurance

Yeh I remember paying 600 when I took it and insurance denied for pre existing...
But they didn't have generic back then years ago

Surely they do now? I heard they do...give Walmart a call and check, I heard they got for 4$

[Eliza Jane]

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

They will ask me for dosage as price would depend on the quantity. What should I tell them?

Strangely, medication strength is often not directly proportional to price. It is like there is a huge base price and then a little add on for extra milligrams. They'd probably be happy to give you the prices for all different strengths.

Someone mentioned the medication payment assistance program through the manufacturer. I did this at one point, but it is a huge hassle. Your doctor's office has to do paperwork regularly and they will only send the meds directly to the doctor. This might have changed now though.

My doctor often had a lot of samples of Abilify though, so she'd help me out in that way when she could.

If I were you, I'd bring up this concern with your pdoc. S/he can help you weigh potential benefit with cost. And s/he might be able to say something like, I get a million samples and if you lose insurance, you can have them.

Best,
EJ

[Setso]

Yeah Eliza
Sadly in our wonderful USA health care is a business

Prices are based on supply, demand and efficiency.

Kinda interesting how rest of the developed countries, like in Europe, you never hear someone say "I can't see the doctor because I don't have insurance"

[Eliza Jane]

According to a quick internet search, generic won't be available until late 2014 or early 2015.

EJ

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by sweepy62

600 dollars without insurance

I see. This is almost as much as Geodon. Expensive.

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by Moreta

My insurance page says abilify is $650 without insurance and that trileptal is $42 without insurance. Tegretol is $4 at walmart for 60 pills of 200 mg.

Wow, thanks for giving me all the info I needed.

[Clinte89]

There isn't a generic out for it test I used to do mail order pharmacy and it we cheaper but I also have insurance but I hear without it the cost is 600+ depending on where you get it

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by Eliza Jane

Strangely, medication strength is often not directly proportional to price. It is like there is a huge base price and then a little add on for extra milligrams. They'd probably be happy to give you the prices for all different strengths.

Someone mentioned the medication payment assistance program through the manufacturer. I did this at one point, but it is a huge hassle. Your doctor's office has to do paperwork regularly and they will only send the meds directly to the doctor. This might have changed now though.

My doctor often had a lot of samples of Abilify though, so she'd help me out in that way when she could.

If I were you, I'd bring up this concern with your pdoc. S/he can help you weigh potential benefit with cost. And s/he might be able to say something like, I get a million samples and if you lose insurance, you can have them.

Best,
EJ

My problem is that it would be a different doctor. I now get free care through the county. If I lose it, I will need to find a doctor in private practice. But wait, there is a doctor to whom I can return... I will ask him that question.

[hamster-bamster]

Left a VM for the p-doc to whom I will go once I lost county coverage. I am glad I thought about it! I certainly cannot pay 600+ a month out of pocket, yet I probably make too much money to qualify for free meds from the manufacturer - I know I did not qualify for the Pfeizer program and I doubt that BM's criteria are much different from Pfeizer's.

[BlackPup]

Mine costs $212 Australian dollars per month.

[ggtina]

I don't know I get my prescription through the VA hospital and monthly is costs me $8.00 per prescription.

[faerie_moon_x]

If you have 0 prescription coverage you can usually get your prescriptions for free but you have to also fall within a certain income level. But it is worth it to try.

A great place to look up applications for prescription assistance is www.rxassist.org
Go through patient and then type in your medicine name. It will bring up the links to all the applications.

Be prepaired that you will need to submit your tax form for the previous year due to the income. Also your doctor needs to fill out part of the application and write a prescription which is then all faxed or mailed. I've found in some circumstances it is best to fax and mail a copy. Also to keep a copy of everything for yourself and a copy for the doctor to put in your chart. This is because as with all assistance programs things are slow, and often get confused or need to be resent.

I have been helping people do this for years to get their insulin. One lady I help every year. I have it down to an art form... haha...

[Anneinside]

aripiprazole is the chemical name, and will be the generic name eventually. It does not come in generic yet. I just checked so I know that is right. Every once in a while my insurance company sends me a list of generic drugs I could change to from Abilify (I ignore it). The cost of Abilify listed for me at a major pharmacy is $750 a month for 10 mg, 30 tabs. I pay a copay of $75 until I hit the doughnut hole. Then I pay half of the total cost and at catastrophic level I now pay $31.25. I am on medicare and Part D for meds.

[purpledaisy]

Abilify is one of the drugs that I tried recently.

I asked when Walmart's pharmacy filled the RX, and without insurance it would have been $680 for a 30-day supply. With insurance, it was $25.

That's one reason I didn't want to stay on it. I knew that if I left my job as I hope to do soon (or lose it), I would not be able to handle $680/month for meds.

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by purpledaisy

Abilify is one of the drugs that I tried recently.

I asked when Walmart's pharmacy filled the RX, and without insurance it would have been $680 for a 30-day supply. With insurance, it was $25.

That's one reason I didn't want to stay on it. I knew that if I left my job as I hope to do soon (or lose it), I would not be able to handle $680/month for meds.

Lithium's out-of-pocket cost cannot be beat, but Lithium did not work for you...