3babiesmommy Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Our dd is ADHD/borderline bi-polar, and one of her meds is Abilify. We were FINALLY getting to a place were behavior was managable and homeschooling was getting easier.... Went to pick up the prescription today, and the cost was OVER $600!! Needless to say, I did not pick it up and will be calling the insurance and Dr. in the AM. Anyone else deal with anything like this??? I know there are other things out there that may be cheaper, but the thought of having to switch when we were finally making progress...UGH. Any advice from you fellow homeschooling mommies?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Did they take it off your insurance's formulary? If so, they have to cover an equivalent or your doctor can request Abilify as medically necessary and not substitutable. It's a pain, but doctors do this pretty often, so they should know the procedure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3babiesmommy Posted January 13, 2009 Author Share Posted January 13, 2009 Thank you! I am about to call the insurance company and that info will be helpful. I really appreciate your response:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Yes, call the insurance company. It might need prior authorization. Also, call the doctor and see if they have some samples to get you through a few weeks until you can straighten this out. If none of that works, call the maker of Abilify and ask for a hardship voucher (or whatever they call them) so that you can get the meds at a lower cost or free. My dd with bipolar is on Risperdal and I know that is expensive as well. Oh, one more thought. I don't know what pill sizes Abilify comes in but sometimes you can get a bigger strength pill and cut it in 1/2 for about the same price as the smaller strength pills. We did that with Ripserdal as it was about the same to get 30 of the 1mg and cut them in 1/2 (so we could dose 1/2mg twice a day for a month) as it was to get 30 of the 1/2mg tablets (which would only last us 15 days). Ask the doctor or pharmacist though if they can be split as some meds can and others can't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Abilify might be considered non-formulary. It's wickedly expensive. Call your insurance. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momsquared Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Would it be worth contacting the manufacturer of the drug? I have often seen advertisements like "If you are having trouble paying for ..." I often wondered what they could or would be willing to do. Might be worth a call to the company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 My dd with bipolar is on Risperdal and I know that is expensive as well. I've got good news for you! Risperidone is now available as a generic. It just came out a couple of months ago! :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberly in IN Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 Just searched Risperidone and found this thread. May I ask where you found a "good" or reasonable deal on Risperidone? I just bought the generic at $462.00. We just cannot afford this amount. Am desperately looking for solutions. With his other medications, we are now above $700/month and we just don't have that much extra money. How do others do this? I am not sure if I went back to work, we would be able to come up w/ this as daycare expenses would eat up a great deal of my salary. ugh!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elizam Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 I have seen several websites for med assistance. Not sure off the top of my head what they are, but I could llok them up soon. Maybe start with this site: http://www.bpkids.org I am shocked at your cost for Abilify. Under our pharmacy plan, it is a mere $35 per month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 Also call every pharmacy in town and ask what they charge for your prescription. My brother's medication varies in cost by over $100 at different pharmacies. Some are more competitive than others. Also ask your insurance if they have a pharmacy that you can order from. They have a special name but I have forgotten it. My mom can order her seizure meds thru the insurance company pharmacy for a $30 co-pay each month but has to pay full price if she fills it locally. The main requirement however is that the physician writes the Rx for a 3 month supply. She also has to wait about a week for the meds to be mailed and they have to be charged on her credit card. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajjkt Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 In Australia, the dr has to ring up to get special authority to prescribe abilify (and other meds) if they are expensive. Maybe it is the same for you? FWIW, that is my least favorite part of being a pharmacist, having to explain to the parent/child/friend/ etc that the medicine they really need is going to cost $x. And that's after you've managed to decifer the dr's handwriting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Our risperidone is covered by insurance and I pay the lowest copay because it's generic. I'm surprised a generic would cost that much without insurance! Ouch! I have bought Risperdal in Venezuela for the same price as our American copay so it definitely can be be had for $30 not $462! Could you try to buy it from a Canadian or Mexican source? The maker of the generic liquid is Patriot, if that helps. The 1 mg tablet I bought in Vzla was made by Janssen-Cilag in Puerto Rico, maybe you could get it from them since they're a domestic source. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tokyomarie Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 This spammer has been reported. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Reported, and requested that this insane spam-monster thread be locked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albeto. Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 spam reported Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.