The price of Epipens — purchased annually by people with severe allergies and stocked in the first-aid cabinets of schools, businesses, and ambulances — more than quintupled in a decade, thanks to the tactics of Mylan CEO Heather Bresch (daughter of Senator Joe Manchin [D-WV]), who took home a 671% raise for her work, which raised this lifesaving technology's pricetag beyond the reach of many people, who turned to low-cost DIY alternatives.
Now, pharmacy chain CVS has entered the fray, announcing a generic epipen that they'll sell in two-packs for $110 — an 80% discount off the sticker price of Mylan's product.
"In order to address this challenge," Foulkes continued, "we have partnered with Impax to purchase their epinephrine auto-injector at a price that is lower than similar brand or authorized generic epinephrine auto-injectors. We are passing these savings along to our customers and patients, making this product available at all CVS Pharmacy locations at the lowest cash price in the market."The price of $109.99 for the authorized generic of Adrenaclick two-pack applies to both insured and cash-paying patients without insurance. This solution will be particularly beneficial for those insured patients who have consumer-directed health plans and have not yet met their deductible for the plan year. Additional cost reductions for the generic Adrenaclick are available for qualifying patients who use the coupon program offered through Impax which provides a benefit of $100 per pack.
[CVS]
(Image: EpiPen Auto Injector, Greg Friese, CC-BY)
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