I personally don’t agree with the eager pill pushing mentality in our medical industry…. HOWEVER, when other approaches have not worked and where it makes sense, I DO agree, and have seen first hand, that medications can positively impact the quality of life and help those with compromised health live well, despite the conditions they are fighting.
As a hyper user of health care with my son’s condition (JRA / JIA) I know all too well the struggles of high cost / specialty medications creating financially crippling situations in a household. We, at a time, had to ration and deviate from the prescribed dosages because of the heavy burden of cost, even with insurance at the time.
This is a big reason why CastleRock Agent Services exists today, and is why we do what we do. working with programs that help those that are struggling to access life saving and life altering high-cost, specialty, and maintenance drugs. Especially those who are uninsured or under-insured. We hear, first hand, every day from members, their stories similar to mine and worse… but we also get to hear the relief in their voice, when they realize they don’t have to fight this battle on their own anymore.
Of course, I would love to see changes made that would directly impact costs of health care and prescription drugs, and put the control back into the patient’s hands. But until this happens, there are other options, there are strategies that can be used to make access to these medications easier and much more affordable.
This article is a stark reminder of the reality we live in!!