HIV Treatments: price per country

[minismom]

I just picked up Mim's 2nd refill of Epzicom.  The pharmacy left the price tag on the box: $944.86 for 30 pills (1 month supply).  I just about fainted!

Mum

[markaj]

BM I got those figures from The British National Formulary...

http://www.bnf.org/bnf/

[BM]

BM I got those figures from The British National Formulary...

http://www.bnf.org/bnf/

Thanks!

Isentress: £647.29
Viread: £255.00
Reyataz: £315.69
Norvir: £94.35

Monthly total: £1312.33. As you say, thanks God for the NHS!

[OneMoreGuy]

If one reads various earlier postings from people living in the USA, one will see that there are many who have gone bankrupt having to pay for their medical costs. I have read in this Forum plenty of stories of people having to sell all their assets and moving into low income housing or with a family member because they could no longer afford to pay for their meds and their room and board. Financial support for HIV patients also seems to vary by State in the USA, so not every State in the Union offers the same amount of government benefits to HIV patients.

To make matters worse for many Americans, there are millions of uninsured in the USA and insurance companies in America have the right to decline applications from people with pre-existing medical conditions and if someone decides to lie on their insurance application, the insurance company has the legal right to eventually refuse payment on medical treatment if they discover any form of fraud was made, whether it was intentional or unintentional.

In the UK, the NHS certainly makes life easier for anyone needing medical attention.

[aztecan]

I started Isentress and Truvada today and was calculating the copays for the upcoming year so I can accurately set aside enough in my flex account to cover it.

My copays in the coming 12 months will be approximately $3,100.

HUGS,

Mark

[secretgarden]

Wow, 'resident' only, not 'citizen'?  I guess it must be nearly impossible for an American to gain 'residency' though?  <just thinking>

Yes, once you live here you can avail of free treatment.

[northernguy]

Since I posted this elsewhere I'll add it here.  Med coverage varies in Canada by province.  British Columbia pays the full cost.

Viramune XR = $74.07
Truvada = $798.88
Total = 872.95

Atripla = $2,417.98

Now, what I find interesting is that I've switched to the original 200 mg formulation of Viramune and the cost is $296 for 30 days vs. $74.07 for the newer Viramune XR!  Is Boehringer lowballing the retail cost of XR, to get docs to use it instead of regular Viramune, which is going generic? 

[songs06]

TURKEY

for my treatment:

Truvada 1074,94 TL - 477.82 Euro
        to goverment: 725,58 TL - 322.53 Euro
Kaletra 805,37 TL - 358 Euro
        to goverment: 543,62 TL - 241.64 Euro

others:
Combivir 650,16 TL - 289.0 Euro
Trizivir (Abakavir + Lamivudin + Zidovudin) 1009,65 TL - 448.80 Euro
Viread 413,25 TL - 183.69 Euro
Stocrin 145,45 TL - 64.65 Euro
Norvir 629,32 TL - 279.74 Euro

so FINAL CONCLUSION: prices are too high for low-middle income country like TURKEY. It looks like Truvada is more expensive in Turkey than United Kingdom. This is quite like a joke.

[Rockin]

Wow...I knew medication was expensive but I never dreamed it was THAT much.

I live in Brazil and I consider moving to another country, as long as I could afford it and get a proper job position and all.

But now I realize that this might be quite difficult  .

[Valmont]

In Ecuador,

HAART meds are given for free (but these years we had many shortage moments...) by public system.  The over hand is that the attention is the minimum (no resistance test are done here), checking each 6 months, labs only for the really important things, CD4 or VL labs can takes some weeks because of lack of reagents or problem with equipment, and so on...  Anyway, I think system here is no so bad...  I´m very happy no to pay anything in regards to my HIV infection (except a resistance test done a few weeks ago)...

I receive Efavirenz + Tenofovir/Emtricit in two pills, from a Indian labs...


VIRADAY is available for USD 168,48 for 30 tabs, but the private importador has not all the time...
ISENTRESS, from MERCK costes USD 800 for 30 tabs (with a friendly price...).  It is not considered as an option for first line here because of the cost...

I hope my body will be ok with Efavirenz for a long time...

It is incredible to see that we have better conditions here than in high income countries...

[mecch]

Merck sorts the world into 4 categories. Ecuador is on second lowest list - "Lower Middle Income Countries".
http://www.merckresponsibility.com/downloads/New-2011-country-classiffication.pdf

I'm surprised that is the price for Isentress in Ecuador! That sucks!  I think its 60 USD a month for the countries on the lowest list - "access countries".

[Valmont]

Thanks for the info Mecch...   Well maybe it is because of our health system... 

Health system buy ISENTRESS and use it in some situation, they may have it in the condition you refears to.

My doc told me that it is not here a first line option, but that It can be bought directly to the brand, in a private negociation...  We called the representant together to consider availability in the country and the cost...  He doesn´t know anyone who bought it by his own (anyway, he only knew one people who bought VIRADAY by his own... 

If everything goes good at it does now, I´ll be the second because I don´t want to be exposed to meds storage we sometimes have here, and my hospital gives me 3 to 5 days meds extra one time for a time, I would feel quieter with always an extra bottle at hope as a reserve of each drug...)

These costes in regards to the country are still quite hight, our minimun salary is around USD 300 a month...