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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums$200 For A Tiny Bottle Of Eye Drops. Is It Made From Unicorn Tears?
WTF?
I live in NY and with Obamacare was able to get insured under Medicare. i opted to go through an insurance company that has a linked community plan. More doctors accept the insurance company's community plan than just Medicare straight.
They won't cover Alrex eye drops, though. I have to call Doctor's office with alternatives the insurers accept. Which is fine. I can wait a day.
But DAMN!
$200 for a tiny bottle of eye drops. I took back the prescription and bought a bottle of a lubricant to tide me over til tomorrow.
msongs
(67,852 posts)KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)wercal
(1,370 posts)No generic.
Warpy
(111,899 posts)I don't know whether they just got a sales pitch from some pharmacy rep or they keep switching to newer antibiotics to keep ahead of the bugs, but my surgeon knew I was uninsured and prescribed last year's drug against his better judgment and it was still $170. It also killed any bugs for the first month it took for the transplant to be covered by sclera.
You won't be on the antibiotics long term, that's the only good part.
Those tiny bottles are part of what drives the cost. They not only have to meet the same dosage and purity requirements of other drugs, they have to be sterile, also.
They do nail you on the price and even old drugs like gentamicin for eyes are expensive.
GusBob
(7,296 posts)Warpy
(111,899 posts)Don't the OTC antihistamine drops help you? They keep me from wanting to claw my eyes out and don't have the huge list of warnings on them.
Eye drugs on patent are all hideously expensive, for the reasons I cited.
WhiteTara
(29,790 posts)Yep, that was just the co pay! And they wanted $600 for hair lotion! Yikes...no, I just used the samples and didn't bother with the script.
GusBob
(7,296 posts)They cost less but don't work as well and you may have to take it more.
That does seem excessively high. Shop around
Its no drug of the month though. That baby there I call liquid gold and a great discovery. It brings great relief to a great number of miserable conditions and quickly. I have seen it take effect within 5 minutes which isnearly unheard of in topical ophthalmic therapeutic pharmaceuticals
silverweb
(16,402 posts)[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]According to the PDR: "Alrex is used for the temporary relief of signs and symptoms associated with seasonal allergies (allergic conjunctivitis)."
Get some over-the-counter Opcon-A for the same symptoms and made by the same company for a fraction of the price. It works just fine. I got mine at Costco for under $7.
warrior1
(12,325 posts)Texasgal
(17,064 posts)I'd try and OTC allergy drop and see how you do. I feel your pain.
ETA: Most of these problems can be cleared up with a medicated wipe such as Occusoft lid wipes. http://www.ocusoft.com/Featured-Products-OCUSOFT-LID-SCRUB-ORIGINAL-PRE-MOISTENED-PADS-30-CTN--P4362.aspx
Historic NY
(37,505 posts)Alaway from Baush & Lomb, its an antihistamine. Its over the counter. It works great I get eyes that I want to take a can opener to. I wear contacts so it makes it worse from April - June.
http://www.bausch.com/our-products/allergy-redness-relief/alaway-eye-drops/