Schuller-Meyer’s son Natan, 4, is like millions of other children across the country, he suffers from severe food allergies.
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The announcement comes just four days after Mylan said it would offer patients a coupon and expanded financial assistance – a move referred to by some politicians and insurers as a superficial “PR fix”.
Hoadley suggested that if the EpiPen price hike is an example of drug makers taking advantage of very limited competition, at the expense of people who need the drug, ethical questions could be raised.
The estimated cost for the only generic epinephrine two-pack auto injector now on the market, according to GoodRx, ranges between $140 and $379, even with a coupon.
Some pharmacists argue that the cheaper generic drug really isn’t a price adjustment at all for patients.
“I think that’s what we’ve seen over the past week, where Mylan realizes it is in political hot water, and so it is doing a whole bunch of things to make it seem like it’s lowering the price – and, for some consumers, it will help”, Carrier said.
We can not rely on public outcry as the only solution to high prescription drug prices. EpiPens must be replaced every year whether they are used or not, because the medication in the device expires.
It was reported on Monday that Mylan may be releasing a generic version of its own product. The alternative is named Adrenaclick, which too is a generic version.
It will hit shelves within several weeks at a list price of $300 for a two-pack carton in dosages of either 0.15 milligrams or 0.30 mg, the company said. It’s what patients who don’t get assistance cards pay.
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin said he believes many of his Senate colleagues will be interested in hearing the ins and outs that have led to the price point controversy over Mylan Pharmaceutical’s EpiPen.
“Will Mylan commit to filling all orders for the authorized generic version of the EpiPen so the generic alternative is available to all epinephrine auto-injector consumers?” the senators ask. While the cost of the EpiPen rose 500 percent since 2007, Bresch’s salary also increased exponentionally. Not surprisingly, lawmakers voted to expand the scope of users for the device to include recreational and educational camps, colleges, daycares, youth sports league and elsewhere.
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On Monday, leaders of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee wrote to Bresch, requesting information about Mylan’s revenues from EpiPens since 2007, manufacturing costs and how much Mylan receives from federal health care programs.
