The price of EpiPens was in the news recently because their price went from $100 to $600 in a few years. Say hello to mebendazole sold under the trade name of Emverm and used to treat pinworms.
From Jacksonville, Florida station WJXT:
Pinworm prescription jumps from $3 to up to $600 a pill
It's something a lot of kids get, but it's also easily cured. One single prescription pill can stop a contagious case of common pinworm, ringworm or even roundworm. It used to cost only a few dollars per pill, but that price has skyrocketed.
Dr. Saman Soleymani treats a lot of kids at Avecina Medical, and therefore, he sees a decent amount with worms -- mostly pinworm, which is the most common type of intestinal worm infection. He says the treatment is easy.
You take one little pill of a prescription drug called mebendazole, which is sold under the name brand Emverm, and the worms are usually gone. So when Soleymani prescribed it recently, he was shocked.
"The pharmacy called me about an hour later saying the treatment is about $1,800 and it's not covered by pretty much any insurance company," said Soleymani.
Soleymani realized that prescription, which used to cost patients about $3 a pill, now costs anywhere from $500 to $600 for that same pill.
A tip of the hat to Joe Mama writing at Eaton Rapids Joe for the link. He also mentions that there is a veterinary version of this medicine which sells for $6.99 for 24 grams - about 65 human-equivalent doses. Not something to do if the 'real stuff' is available but simple and cheap enough to keep on hand for SHTF scenarios.
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