Never had much to do with doctors, specialists, hospitals, drugs until this year so it was a steep learning curve working our way through the medical bureaucracy with Medicare, private health insurance, chemists and regular pathology and radiology services.
The PBS ( or Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) has finally been of use to us but only because "luckily" I had the right illness. The accountant in me has come out and I found the analysis of the cost of the medication interesting. Without getting too numeric here are the results.
Each of the days while taking chemo I need one anti nausea and 3 x chemo tablets. The full cost of the anti nausea tablets is $120.41. That's for 5 tablets each of 5 mg each equating to $4.816 per mg. Thankfully as it is listed on PBS this costs TeamSAK only $30.70.
The full cost of the chemo each cycle is $2480.05 for 15 tablets each of 100mg. This calculates to $1.6 per mg. Again as it has recently been listed on PBS it only costs TeamSAK $30.70.
I find it amazing that the anti nausea , which I would willing pay full cost for as it appears to work reasonably well, is more expensive per mg than the cytotoxic chemotherapy which is hopefully doing its job on the Big C.
If there are any errors in the calculations let me know- as an accountant I can always make 2 plus 2 equal 5 !
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Whichever way you crunch the numbers, for what those drugs are doing to help you get better, they are worth every cent! :)
I'm with Fairlie. And never ask me to crunch any numbers. I'm numerically challenged.
Agree Fairlie.
For the record - two things we never skimp on when it comes to the finances are health and education. Just glad my meds are on PBS ( more $ left for art and the more decadent things in life!) I was VERY surprised the anti nausea is more expensive per mg than the chemo.
I tell all college graduate that they should consider health benefits as much as salary when looking at job offers. Medical costs are so high.... I saw a study in TIME magazine that drug companies have spent more on things like VIAGRA than on cures for malaria.... which can be done and would only cost dollars per vaccine, but has absolutely no profit value since most malaria victims live in poor countries. Stepping off my soap box now.
Post a Comment