Hi Charlie and Chris: Just to put this in perspective. I
had the unfortunate occurrence of being 'stuck' today with
a needle I had used on a patient of mine with full-blown
AIDS and Hepatitis. (The so-called safety mechanism on the
syringe was apparently unsafe.) The infectious disease
people said that the prophylactic treatment had to be
started within hours to be effective. Therefore I had to
pay out-of-pocket to the closest pharmacy that had the 3
AIDS drugs I needed (which will be reimbursed.) The point
of all this is that the cost for a 7 day supply was
$1,000.00 and I think that is criminal in a country as
wealthy as the U.S.
These are patients with a disease with a 100% mortality
rate and this is what they are expected to pay?
                  Carole
P.S. Don't know yet what cost of Hepatitis globulin will
be.
--- "Charles T. Meyer, M.D." <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Chris-
>
> That strategy makes sense except for the fact that
> customs might confiscate
> meds being imported into at least the US.  I have heard
> of such cases where
> meds from Canada were taken at the border when there were
> large amounts
> bought by US citizens in Canada.
>
> Charlie
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Chris van der Linden <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, January 03, 2000 2:20 AM
> Subject: Re: price of PD medication
>
>
> > Hi everybody,
> >
> > There is a simple way to have the medication at a lower
> price, but all
> > members of the network have to participate.  Just list
> the price of
> > anti-Parkinson medication (either per tablet, or per
> 100 tablets in the
> > local currencies) on this list and than we will compare
> the prices. We
> will
> > than purchase the medication from a country with the
> lowest price and
> > distribute it to the members, who pay too much.
> Remember (especially for
> > the USA members), that for example Sinemet 25/100 is
> the same in each
> > country, from the same company, so don't be afraid that
> you will get
> > something else or a different concentration etc.  of a
> specific
> medication.
> > Sometimes, medication in different countries have
> differerent names, to
> make
> > it more complicated for the "consumers". Therefore, I
> suggest we use the
> > generic name if applicable. Here is a list of
> frequently used
> anti-Parkinson
> > medication:
> > levodopa/carbidopa                    Sinemet
> > levodopa/benserazide                Madopar/Prolopa
> > selegiline
> Eldepryl
> > amantadine
> Symmetrel/Amantan
> > entacapone                                   Comtan
> > tolcapone                                       Tasmar
> > trihexyphenidyl                                Artane
> > orphenadrine                                Disipal
> > ropinorol                                        Requip
> > pergolide                                       Permax
> > bromocriptine                                Parlodel
> > pramipexole                                    Mirapex
> > etc.
> >
> > The pharmacological companies won't like this, but this
> is one way of
> > showing them that we can bypass their high prices in
> certain countries.
> > Maybe, they will than start to adjust their prices more
> uniformly.
> > It does surprise me again that Parkinson support groups
> don't put pressure
> > on companies and/or governments to lower the prices of
> meds.
> >
> > Good luck and again a happy and healthy 2000.
> >
> >
> > Chris van der Linden, M.D.
>

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