My son has chronic health issues and lives with Autism and a seizure disorder. Last week, we paid a visit to the doctor’s office, due to chronic infections, to get cultures done on his ear. We were told that he needs to use daily ear drops until he can have another surgery in a few months.
After the appointment, we got a prescription for a medication called Blephamide. The pharmacy told me that even with insurance, the medication was going to cost $157.56, and would need to be filled about every three weeks - WHAT!?
If my time at Scripta has taught me anything, it’s that there is almost always another option. I researched the drops some more and found that they were a combination of a steroid and an antibiotic. I called the doctor, and she ended up writing my son two separate scripts for prednisolone ear drops and antibiotic ear drops.
At Scripta we call this the “Separate” strategy, where you take one medication and break it down into two or more different ones, while still receiving the same drug therapy. This time, the prescriptions were $2.00 each -- that’s $153 in savings EVERY TIME we fill!
At the end of the day, I knew I had to get the prescription my son needed, but I’m glad I questioned the high price tag. Unfortunately, many patients see high costs on their meds and ultimately abandon their prescriptions, or fill them at the expensive price tag, forcing them to sometimes choose between their health or groceries for their household. At Scripta, we’re working to change this narrative, and I am very thankful that we are paving the way for people to still get what they need to remain compliant and have better outcomes!
Kristen Donahoe, RN, BSN, CCM
Scripta Insights