Re: tests-Zavie and all - Gleevec pricing issues

[Guest guest]

I thought you would like to know that we had a situation here in

Quebec were a fellow CMLer was going to be charged more to switch to

the 400 Mg tabs. We checked it out with Novartis and found out that

it was the pharmacist that was taking advantage of the situation, not

Novartis. For the record, here in Canada, and I am pretty certain it

would be the same in the U.S., there should be absolutely no price

difference. Anyway, our fellow CMLer went back to the pharmacist,

who followed it up his supply chain and found out that the super

chain that he bought IM from just arbitrarily added extra charges.

She is now paying the same price as she was for the 100 mg capsules.

On the same note, with regards to price you might want to shop

around. I was purchasing IM from a large super chain drug store just

because it was easier for me to get to. However, they messed up

quite a bit on my Eprex scripts and having rotating pharmacists who

seemed to be always surprised at the cost of Gleevec and would ask

for a deposit before ordering it for me, just made me a bit

irritated. I found a family run and family friendly druggist.

Imagine my surprise when the total cost for the same amount of pills

was $500.00 less expensive then what I had been paying at the other

place. The druggist informed me that he " buy's " IM for about

$2,800.00 and was quite happy charging me $3,100.00 and not the

$3,600 I was being charged by the super chain. This is incredibly

important to me as I am covered through private insurance and worry

that high costs of drugs in general could exhaust the funds or cause

massive premium increases for the other members of the plan.

By the way, my new druggist orders IM from a distributor in Ontario.

In Canada we have the pharmaceutical marketing price review board and

in general they would not allow drug costs to be so varied from

province to province.

So, I was happy to learn that we can shop around. I was and continue

to be delighted to give my business to a family run, family and

patient friendly druggist. We have to take Gleevec anyway, why not

help the " Little guy " ! Even if the government fully covers the cost

of your IM, they pay for it with our tax money ;>)!

Cheers,

Cheryl-Anne

> > >If you do tolerate at the 300 mg level, ask your doctor if you

> could try

> > 350

> > >mg next. No need to go to 400 mg.

> >

> > Hi Zavie,

> > how do you propose for Skip to take 350mg?? just curious.

> > There is the 400mg that can be split.......and a 100mg..........

> > I suppose just make another cut??

> > I will tell you, when I sometimes cut my 400mg in 1/2 on the score

> line,

> > the exposed end does give a bitter taste...but doable.

> >

> > C.

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