If you take the drug Effexor XR and you do not have medical insurance to help pay for the medication, this will be the cost. These prices are taken from the pharmacy at Costco.com.
Name Quantity (number of capsules)
(manufacturer) 30 60 90
VENLAFAXINE HCL ER 37.5 MG $121.69 $234.14 $344.48
CAP (TEVA) Generic Alternative
EFFEXOR XR 37.5 MG $133.40 $261.50 $389.61
VENLAFAXINE HCL ER 75 MG $131.98 $258.88 $385.47
EFFEXOR XR 37.5 MG $133.40 $261.50 $389.61
VENLAFAXINE HCL ER 75 MG $131.98 $258.88 $385.47
CAP (TEVA) Generic Alternative
EFFEXOR XR 75 MG $145.41 $238.18 $474.00
EFFEXOR XR 75 MG $145.41 $238.18 $474.00
CAPSULE (WYETH)
VENLAFAXINE HCL ER 150 MG $139.86 $274.52 $410.70
VENLAFAXINE HCL ER 150 MG $139.86 $274.52 $410.70
CAP (TEVA) Generic Alternative
EFFEXOR XR 150 MG $156.82 $260.59 $525.79
EFFEXOR XR 150 MG $156.82 $260.59 $525.79
CAPSULE (WYETH)
My medical insurance has a $5,000.00 deductible, does not have a copay, and gives us a small discount on prescription drugs. To help save money I buy my Effexor XR from Canada Pharmacy at http://www.canadapharmacy.com. These are the prices of Effexor XR from Canada Pharmacy.
Generic 37.5 mg 90 capsules $20.00
Brand 37.5 mg 28 capsules $45.00
Brand 37.5 mg 84 capsules $125.00
Generic 75 mg 30 capsules $45.00
Generic 75 mg 30 capsules $45.00
Generic 75 mg 90 capsules $120.00
Brand 75 mg 28 capsules $60.00
Brand 75 mg 28 capsules $60.00
Brand 75 mg 84 capsules $147.00
Generic 150 mg 90 capsules $86.00
Brand 150 mg 28 capsules $80.00
Generic 150 mg 90 capsules $86.00
Brand 150 mg 28 capsules $80.00
Brand 150 mg 84 capsules $225.00
I will be increasing the dose of Effexor XR from 262 mg to 300 mg next Tuesday morning. I want to figure out the difference in price from Costco Pharmacy and Canada Pharmacy. My doctor has recommended I stay on 300 mg for 8-12 weeks before we decide to increase the dose again.
Costco: 60 capsules would be a 30 day supply so the cost would be $260.59
I will be increasing the dose of Effexor XR from 262 mg to 300 mg next Tuesday morning. I want to figure out the difference in price from Costco Pharmacy and Canada Pharmacy. My doctor has recommended I stay on 300 mg for 8-12 weeks before we decide to increase the dose again.
Costco: 60 capsules would be a 30 day supply so the cost would be $260.59
60 capsules for $260.59 are $4.34 per pill
90 capsules for $525.79 are $5.84 per pill
Canada Pharmacy: It would be less expensive to buy 84, 150 mg capsules for $225.00. Each pill is approximately $2.68 each: $2.68 X 60=$160.80
Canada Pharmacy: It would be less expensive to buy 84, 150 mg capsules for $225.00. Each pill is approximately $2.68 each: $2.68 X 60=$160.80
28, 150 mg capsules would be $2.86 per pill
So I will save about $100.00 buying Effexor XR from Canada Pharmacy, but it is still expensive to be on a drug that is $160.80 every month. It will be even more expensive if I need to raise the dose. When I purchase my medication I miss the years we had a small copay for prescription drugs, but I don't miss the high premiums we paid for medical/pharmacy coverage for our small business.
To get started on Effexor XR I bought 21, 37.5 capsules from a prescription at Walgreen's pharmacy. Retail price was $111.69, my medical insurance gave me a $22.17 discount, so the cost was $89.52. Retail price for one pill is $5.32. The discounted price for one pill is $4.26.
I needed more 37.5 capsules so I bought 40 from the prescription at Walgreen's. Retail price was $209.29, my medical insurance discount was $41.94, so the final cost was $167.35. This time retail price for one pill was $5.23, and the discounted price was $4.18.
The following editorial discusses the "indirect" costs of mental disorders. I thought it was interesting. If you would like to read the whole article go to:
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/165/6/66
Editorial
Assessing the Economic Costs of Serious Mental Illness
Thomas R. Insel, M.D.
"What do mental disorders cost the nation? The costs of health care are considered one of the greatest challenges in U.S. public policy (2). In 2006, health care costs reached 16% of the nation’s gross domestic product, on a path to reach 20% by 2016 (3). While mental disorders contribute to these costs at an estimated 6.2% of the nation’s spending on health care (4), the full economic costs of mental disorders are not captured by an analysis of health care costs. Unlike other medical disorders, the costs of mental disorders are more "indirect" than "direct." The costs of care (e.g., medication, clinic visits, or hospitalization) are direct costs. Indirect costs are incurred through reduced labor supply, public income support payments, reduced educational attainment, and costs associated with other consequences such as incarceration or homelessness. Another kind of indirect cost results from the high rate of medical complications associated with serious mental illness, leading to high rates of emergency room care, high prevalence of pulmonary disease (persons with serious mental illness smoke 44% of all cigarettes in the United States), and early mortality (a loss of 13 to 32 years) (5). While indirect costs have been challenging to quantify, they are critical for informing public policy. Once we assess the key components of the economic burden of mental disorders, we can have a more informed discussion about what should be invested to prevent and treat these illnesses."
Am J Psychiatry 165:663-665, June 2008
So I will save about $100.00 buying Effexor XR from Canada Pharmacy, but it is still expensive to be on a drug that is $160.80 every month. It will be even more expensive if I need to raise the dose. When I purchase my medication I miss the years we had a small copay for prescription drugs, but I don't miss the high premiums we paid for medical/pharmacy coverage for our small business.
To get started on Effexor XR I bought 21, 37.5 capsules from a prescription at Walgreen's pharmacy. Retail price was $111.69, my medical insurance gave me a $22.17 discount, so the cost was $89.52. Retail price for one pill is $5.32. The discounted price for one pill is $4.26.
I needed more 37.5 capsules so I bought 40 from the prescription at Walgreen's. Retail price was $209.29, my medical insurance discount was $41.94, so the final cost was $167.35. This time retail price for one pill was $5.23, and the discounted price was $4.18.
The following editorial discusses the "indirect" costs of mental disorders. I thought it was interesting. If you would like to read the whole article go to:
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/165/6/66
Editorial
Assessing the Economic Costs of Serious Mental Illness
Thomas R. Insel, M.D.
"What do mental disorders cost the nation? The costs of health care are considered one of the greatest challenges in U.S. public policy (2). In 2006, health care costs reached 16% of the nation’s gross domestic product, on a path to reach 20% by 2016 (3). While mental disorders contribute to these costs at an estimated 6.2% of the nation’s spending on health care (4), the full economic costs of mental disorders are not captured by an analysis of health care costs. Unlike other medical disorders, the costs of mental disorders are more "indirect" than "direct." The costs of care (e.g., medication, clinic visits, or hospitalization) are direct costs. Indirect costs are incurred through reduced labor supply, public income support payments, reduced educational attainment, and costs associated with other consequences such as incarceration or homelessness. Another kind of indirect cost results from the high rate of medical complications associated with serious mental illness, leading to high rates of emergency room care, high prevalence of pulmonary disease (persons with serious mental illness smoke 44% of all cigarettes in the United States), and early mortality (a loss of 13 to 32 years) (5). While indirect costs have been challenging to quantify, they are critical for informing public policy. Once we assess the key components of the economic burden of mental disorders, we can have a more informed discussion about what should be invested to prevent and treat these illnesses."
Am J Psychiatry 165:663-665, June 2008
doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2008.08030366
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