Colchicine prescription drug price

[her209]

My gout flared up and I was prescribed colchicine by the doc. The last time I had to get prescribed medication was back about 5-6 years ago. I dropped of the prescription in the afternoon and just went to go pick it up. Holy fuck! No generic available, only brand name. Bill for the colchicine medication alone was $181.99. $130 was out of my own pocket. This was not the case when I got medication back 5-6 years ago.

Come to find out, this is what happened (from Wiki):

On July 30, 2009 the FDA approved colchicine as a monotherapy for the treatment of three different indications: familial Mediterranean fever, acute gout flares, and for the prophylaxis of gout flares,[2] and gave URL Pharma a three-year marketing exclusivity agreement[3] in exchange for URL Pharma doing 17 new studies and investing $100 million into the product, of which $45 million went to the FDA for the application fee. URL Pharma raised the price from $0.09 per tablet to $4.85, and the FDA removed the older unapproved colchicine from the market in October 2010 both in oral and IV form, but gave pharmacies the opportunity to buy up the older unapproved colchicine.[4]

Pharma raised the prices by a whopping 5288%. Thanks!

 

[Craig234]

Funny how the pricing works. I was after three medications; Kaiser said up front 'you will probably get a better price from others'.

They weren't lying - they wanted over $100 to $150 each; the Costco pharmacy was under $10 each, same thing.

 

[BoomerD]

Funny how the pricing works. I was after three medications; Kaiser said up front 'you will probably get a better price from others'.

They weren't lying - they wanted over $100 to $150 each; the Costco pharmacy was under $10 each, same thing.

My doc has me on atenolol for blood pressure. At the local pharmacy, that's a bit more than $35/month. At Costco, I get 100 pills (100 day supply) for under $6. :shrug:

 

[drebo]

When my gout flares up, I just take two vicoden and sleep it out.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Pharma raised the prices by a whopping 5288%. Thanks!

Yes they did, but the only reason that happened is that the government couldn't leave well enough alone. Something which has been in use for hundreds of years was no longer fit to be taken unless someone spent a hundred million dollars to show what everyone knew, which was that it was effective and the side effects well known. The return was that the company who put out the money would get it back with increased prices. You wanted government intercession, you got it.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

My doc has me on atenolol for blood pressure. At the local pharmacy, that's a bit more than $35/month. At Costco, I get 100 pills (100 day supply) for under $6. :shrug:

Loss leader. People go in and shop and the pharmacy is a draw. Costco pharmacies are designed to lose money, but they make it up overall.

 

[BoomerD]

Loss leader. People go in and shop and the pharmacy is a draw. Costco pharmacies are designed to lose money, but they make it up overall.

That's fine with me...but...you don't have to have a Costco card to use their pharmacy and get the prices...

 

[CPA]

Yes they did, but the only reason that happened is that the government couldn't leave well enough alone. Something which has been in use for hundreds of years was no longer fit to be taken unless someone spent a hundred million dollars to show what everyone knew, which was that it was effective and the side effects well known. The return was that the company who put out the money would get it back with increased prices. You wanted government intercession, you got it.

paid for research into what was already known AND pay a brib...I mean fee to the FDA. It was government extortion, nothing else.

 

[dmcowen674]

Pharma raised the prices by a whopping 5288%. Thanks!

Dude where have you've been?

Healthcare is only for the rich.

You better leave quick.

 

[Jaskalas]

Was nice of the FDA to personally ensure the price increase.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Dude where have you've been?

Healthcare is only for the rich.

You better leave quick.

If only government had gotten involved. No wait, they did.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

My gout flared up and I was prescribed colchicine by the doc. The last time I had to get prescribed medication was back about 5-6 years ago. I dropped of the prescription in the afternoon and just went to go pick it up. Holy fuck! No generic available, only brand name. Bill for the colchicine medication alone was $181.99. $130 was out of my own pocket. This was not the case when I got medication back 5-6 years ago.

Come to find out, this is what happened (from Wiki):



Pharma raised the prices by a whopping 5288%. Thanks!

Really???? You must have some shitty prescription drug coverage. And shens on no generic available.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Really???? You must have some shitty prescription drug coverage. And shens on no generic available.

He's right and I know. Colcrys is the only version of this med which can be had. The heroic isn't banned for sale, but when existing stocks were exhausted that was it. Note this is a US situation and therefore it's made elsewhere, but it's not something pharmacies in the US can order.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

He's right and I know. Colcrys is the only version of this med which can be had. The heroic isn't banned for sale, but when existing stocks were exhausted that was it. Note this is a US situation and therefore it's made elsewhere, but it's not something pharmacies in the US can order.

So CVS/Caremark is lying that they have generic colchicine available for dispensing???

 

[Londo_Jowo]

CVS/Caremark offers both Colcrys and a generic version of colchicine

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

CVS/Caremark offers both Colcrys and a generic version of colchicine

Since I had a minute at work I took this for you.

Well that didn't work. Seems I can't upload from my android phone. I took a pic of my shelf at work. Since I'm a pharmacist I can do that.

Do you remember me saying that until existing stocks are sold out it could be sold? CVS/caremark is a huge mail order outfit and they might have some left. Now if anyone thinks I don't know my job I suggest they pick up a phone and call a local US pharmacy, or simply search on colcrys and the generic and see.

 

[shira]

My gout flared up and I was prescribed colchicine by the doc. The last time I had to get prescribed medication was back about 5-6 years ago. I dropped of the prescription in the afternoon and just went to go pick it up. Holy fuck! No generic available, only brand name. Bill for the colchicine medication alone was $181.99. $130 was out of my own pocket. This was not the case when I got medication back 5-6 years ago.

Come to find out, this is what happened (from Wiki):


Pharma raised the prices by a whopping 5288%. Thanks!

India has a different attitude toward drug patents than America, and many drugs which are still under patent protection in the west are available as high-quality generics manufactured by reputable Indian companies. A friend of mine who got tired of paying over $3 a pill for an under-patent prescription medication found a generic version of the drug for 20 cents a pill sold by the internet pharmacy Magic Pharma. He's ordered the drug several times without any problems. This pharmacy does not require a prescription, but sometimes requires that you provide an explanation of why you wish to obtain the drug ordered.

I checked their website and found that they offer generic Colchicine in various quantities for prices between about 40 and 70 cents a pill, plus $5 worldwide shipping. For example, for $109 you can obtain 180 .5 mg colchicine pills:

http://www.magicpharma.com/advanced...sid=a18f9db3b70d0aa16904a523595cb4af&x=14&y=6

There's no guarantee that prescription drugs ordered from India won't be seized by American customs, but this hasn't occurred for my friend (he orders a six-month supply twice a year, and has been doing this for three years now). And I doubt that there would be any legal consequences, especially considering you have a prescription for this drug. I am in no way advocating that you order prescription drugs from India, just making you aware of an option.

Good luck!

 

[her209]

Really???? You must have some shitty prescription drug coverage. And shens on no generic available.

-snip-

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm227796.htm

Colcrys is the only FDA-approved single-ingredient oral colchicine product available on the U.S. market. Approved by the FDA in 2009, Colcrys’ prescribing information contains important safety data and recommendations on drug interactions and dosing not available with unapproved products.

The manufacturer of Colcrys, Mutual Pharmaceutical/URL Pharma, has established a Patient Assistance Program (PAP) and a Co-Pay Assistance Program (CAP) to ensure that all patients will be able to continue affordable access to colchicine. The company also has informed FDA that it will maintain the programs at a minimum until there is FDA-approved generic competition for Colcrys.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Or could it be that the 3 year term of market exclusivity has expired and now generics can be sold again.

From the same wiki:

In 2009, the FDA approved colchicine for gout flares, awarding Colcrys a three-year term of market exclusivity, prohibiting generic sales, and increasing the price of the drug from $0.09 to $4.85 per tablet

 

[monovillage]

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm227796.htm

You got hosed by Government regulation, welcome to the team.

 

[her209]

Or could it be that the 3 year term of market exclusivity has expired and now generics can be sold again.

From the same wiki:

Hasn't expire yet.

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm174620.htm

 

[her209]

You got hosed by Government regulation, welcome to the team.

Yeah, government-granted monopoly = bad. I don't think that was ever in dispute.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Ok, guess it's a good thing to have a drug plan with a company that still has the generic version for less that 10% of the name brand drug.

 

[monovillage]

Yeah, government-granted monopoly = bad. I don't think that was ever in dispute.

Bad regulation is always in dispute. You're trying to blame a pharmaceutical company for what the government did courtesy of the FDA. Direct your anger in the proper direction.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Ok, guess it's a good thing to have a drug plan with a company that still has the generic version for less that 10% of the name brand drug.

Assuming that it's in stock and not just listed.

This should put a fork in the "generic now available" contention.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/index.cfm?fuseaction=Search.Search_Drug_Name

Search on the generic and only Colcrys comes up as colchicine.