Drug Deals

This is the story of a drug deal that almost turned bad.

I went to my pharmacy this afternoon to pick up my prescribed pills for a certain medical problem I have.

When my doc put me on these pills three months ago, I was relieved to discover that I could buy a three-month quantity for 24 bucks.

When it came time to fork over the cash today, the clerk said I owed 48 bucks.

Now wait a second, I said.  That is a 100 percent increase in the cost of these pills.  I don't believe that for a second. That is way too much. I paid half that the first time I bought these.

The clerk and another pharmacist looked at each other and started to explain to me that prices have recently gone up for many medicines.

I said, listen, nothing doubles in price in just three months unless it is a bribe to a US congressman or someone flipping a house that he has stolen in a foreclosure deal.  I don't believe this.

Drugs often do, the clerk said.

Yeah, I said, on the street if a dealer gets taken down by the police on a given day.  And then only if he's big enough to matter.

You know, this prescription is usually $400, the clerk said.

Four-hundred is what you charge the US government because the pharmaceutical industry is as corrupt as that bribe-taking congressman I just mentioned.

The head pharmacist was nearby and overheard the conversation.  He frowned.  He came over and looked at the prescription and then got on the computer.

I understood what he was doing--checking the wholesale cost of the drug against its potential retail value in order to make a determination as to whether my initial price maintained profitability.  He was looking at all the angles outside of the Medicare scam, where the prix fixed menu assures exorbitant profits.

I said, look up my records.  I know what I paid three months ago.

I had no idea how this was going to turn out, however.  I stood and waited, wondering whether I would just tell them to shove it and walk out without my pills or win this bruising battle.

A couple of minutes lapsed as the pharmacist keyed the computer some more.  He finally nodded assent and said, yeah, we can sell it for that--meaning my price.

He walked away; the clerk frowned this time, and the second pharmacist followed suit.  I exhaled.

I got my pills.

I got my pills because I fought for them and was sharp enough to maintain control of the situation.  I'm not old enough to be on Medicare, and for the time being I'm not senile enough to be taken in by a collective of out-and-out thieves.

Old people, beware.  Taxpayers, beware.

These people will take your last dime if you let them and think nothing of it.



TS