Take Two

So, I’m working at home today (which is also my office as most of you know) and I’m evaluating the future medical cost of a case I’m working on.  Not much shocks me about the price of healthcare anymore but this caused me to do a doubletake.  The drug in question is Actiq, a lozenge (or lollipop) made with Fentynl which is a Schedule II (ie, very strong and addictive) narcotic.  The primary purpose (or on-label use) for this drug is to address breakthrough pain in cancer patients.  It is however, prescribed in a variety of cases (largely workers’ compensation) for all types of chronic pain.  As a side note, the manufacturer of this specific drug, because a competing drug was scheduled to come out within twelve months, raised the retail cost of the drug 100% to milk profits prior to having competition.  In New York, this is called a racket.  In pharmaceuticals, it’s call patent protection.

So here’s the doubletake, a 30 day supply of Actiq is almost $5,000.00.  That’s for 150 lozenges or literally, about $30 bucks a pop.  Now, imagine you are taking this drug on-label for cancer pain.  In addition, you’re taking the drugs for chemo, to boost red and/or white blood cells, for nausea, and pain.  It gets very expensive, very quickly.  It is also breaking the back of our system.  I don’t know what the answer is but this isn’t it.