Comments on: Commishes Called Out On Discount Drug Card

By: dog

dog — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:10:18 +0000

I have to agree with Brian on the poor people going to Costco. They don’t go there. I see more poor people at convenience stores or Albertsons (a type of convenient store)and at Winco. What I am amazed at is the predominance of excessively overweight people shopping at Costco. Anyone else notice this?

To be fair, I have never seen the Guardian at Costco.

By: Brian

Brian — Sun, 31 May 2009 17:20:43 +0000

Poor people without insurance (who these cards are for), do not go to Costco because they can’t afford Costco memberships or the high prices we pay in order to get a low unit cost on bulk items there. It doesn’t matter that you don’t need a Costco membership to visit the pharmacy, the people we’re talking about will never visit Costco just to save $5 on that one item, it makes zero sense for poor people who don’t have cars and/or a lot of time to run errands. For more on this, read http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/17/AR2009051702053.html

By: TJH

TJH — Sun, 31 May 2009 07:20:45 +0000

Best wishes to you, Paul. I don’t care about drug company profits if they deliver the goods. After a year and a half of studying the so called “rare side effects” of statins, brand name or otherwise, I have found that thay are not so rare. Do not let your physician make you into another guinea pig for the Big Pharma. Just keep taking the drug and when your memory starts to fade and you have trouble walking to the mailbox at 65, even if your family has generally lived to 90 without these problems just chalk it up to an “oh well” moment.

I just would like to suggest that you take charge of your own health and not believe what the Big Pharma has been brain washing our doctors with. The basic premises of the drug companies are seriously flawed from what I have found over the last year and a half. But, you may be one of the lucky ones.

By: paul

paul — Sun, 31 May 2009 02:23:58 +0000

Note to TJH:

I have been taking Simvastatin for almost a year and no problems. I would have to believe you are one of the rare individuals who reacted adversely to the drug or something else caused your problem. I insist on generics as cheaper alternatives to Branded drugs whenever possible.

Certainly drug companies are entitled to make a profit. However, 20 times the cost of a generic equivalent may be economically possible for some people, it is not possible for me. I also rejoice in the notion I am not supporting those annoying “latest and greatest” drug advertisments on TV.
I’ll keep taking the Simvastatin.

By: Keeping My Head Down

Keeping My Head Down — Sat, 30 May 2009 17:54:57 +0000

Sharon,

I too am usually on your side. However, your comment that, “Unfortunately for us, the Boise Guardian does not attend our meetings and did not bring his perspective on this issue to our attention until we had already acted.”

There is a reason so few people show up to testify on issues such as this. You may be a breath of fresh air on the commission, but two-thirds of the air smells just as bad as it ever did.

I have been to too many commission meetings where the real decision had clearly already been made before the meeting had started. And given that your two coworkers are guilty of violating the open meeting law, we can only guess what information they base their decisions on.

I have seen the public abused and ridiculed by your coworkers for having the audacity to exercise their rights by testifying in opposition to a variety of preordained county positions.

Sorry, but until the some things change on your bench, doing it this way is not only more comfortable, but more effective.

See in the papers, so to speak.

By: Bunny Roberts

Bunny Roberts — Sat, 30 May 2009 12:56:00 +0000

And I might add that if the county prescription card (which was promoted and sponsored by National Association of Counties and CVS, not by Ada County… Ada is just one of many counties who signed on to help distribute the cards) helps even a few poor or elderly folks get a prescription a bit cheaper, then it is a good thing. For heaven’s sake, every prescription is helping some multibillion dollar drug company somewhere. I don’t care if you’re shopping at Walmart, Costco, Riteaid or on the moon. The drug industry is a for-profit industry. And that is situation is not going to be rectified without a major overhaul of the health care system. While we live with the system we have, realize some people cannot buy their prescriptions. And maybe saving 22% will help them do it. No one said they had to shop at Rite Aid. 90% of pharmacies will accept the cards. And counties all across the nations signed on to this program. Maybe it’s a brilliant marketing ploy. So what. Fact is a few folks will save a few bucks. And I do not see the harm.

By: Bunny Roberts

Bunny Roberts — Sat, 30 May 2009 12:47:41 +0000

I find it odd to hear one may use the Costco pharmacy w/o being a member, given that one of the most offensive aspects of Costco are the “guardians” at the front door checking to see you have a membership card before they’ll even let you in the flippin’ store! So if you can get past those folks, and if you’re willing to pay a bit more than the members for your drugs, you can use the pharmacy? Doesn’t sound like all that great a deal to me.

EDITOR NOTE–As COSTCO explained it, there is NO membership requirement and no extra cost to use the pharmacy. They offer the same type of free card as the county. Our point was the county is promoting a card that actually costs MORE than using the same type of free card at COSTCO. We can’t see the county promoting one retailer over another period. We agree with Bunny the SYSTEM needs a fix and suckering the counties into marketing for CVS is hardly the answer.

By: erico49

erico49 — Sat, 30 May 2009 12:09:11 +0000

Where is the fun in griping about government if they actually take the time to respond? 😉

By: TJH

TJH — Sat, 30 May 2009 07:29:14 +0000

Paul: If you are going to take Simvastatin you might want to invest in a cane as well while you are in Costco. I took simvastatin manufactured at Dr. Reddy’s of India in 2008 and became a cripple. Can’t even walk to my mailbox. No matter what it cost you it isn’t worth it, no matter where you buy it.

Best of luck.

By: Clancy

Clancy — Sat, 30 May 2009 05:39:21 +0000

One of Sharon’s points was missed. Not everybody has the capabilities to make the drive to Costco and we know a bus would be near impossible. Many people are confined to where they may be able to walk or where they are able to catch a ride.