I think I'm going to be sick...

I got my Ritalin script this morning and turned it in to the pharmacy. Just looked up on my insurance plan and the dumb company insists that you try the generic first.

NATURALLY the Dr. Wrote DAW on the bottom of the script.

Anyone have an idea of what I might pay for this? 10mg tabs not long acting. PM me if you have a ball park number.

Thanks!

Sounds like your company has a Mandatory Generic program. You have a couple of choices: 1) Call your Dr. and tell him this and see if he will change it to DAW - 0 (Translation: Dr did not specify Brand or Generic) 2: Contact your Human Resources Dept and tell them that the Dr. specified that he wanted you on brand (in this case they may ask for a letter from your Dr.) they have the option then to let you get the brand at the generic price. Or, worse case scenerio they can decline to do that and unless you can get your Dr. to understand finances are tight and let you go with the generic you're pretty much stuck paying the Brand price. Prices can vary so call around to different pharmacies. If there is a Sam's Club or CostCo near you with a pharmacy, call them. Even if you don't have a membership there they can't refuse to fill your Rx.

In theory you might be able to get reimbursed given the doc prescribed it that way, just will take time & working the system. You can also fill only part of the prescription, enough to get you through to a follow-up with generic. You can just get a week's worth but will need a new scrip, cause that's one can only be used once even though you only get a bit.

I decided to eat the cost of the meds this time. Next time I will make sure that I get the generic. Then if it does not work as well I can go back to the real stuff and my ins should cover it. They don't refuse to pay for Ritalin, it's just a mandatory step up.

I'll take it tomorrow a.m. and we will see what happens from there.

I just filled my 20 mg xr scrip today and out of curiosity asked what the non insurance cost is and it's 120 bucks for 60 pills. Hope this helps

I get 60 20 mg tabs for $51, the generic made by Mallincrodt. To me they are as good as the brand, which is almost $100. I don't have insurance, so I definitely shop for price, then again I don't want something that is clearly inferior. All I can say if your insurance insists on a generic, you should insist on Mallinkrodt. You won't be disappointed.

My insurance pays pretty well for generic but I prefer brand by far and am willing to pay the difference. I think most insurance companies are pushing for the generic now days. Even the pharmacy refused to fill me with brand one time when my doctor didn't put "Brand Medically Nec." What BS.

Many docs insist on DAW when it comes to Ritalin because Ritalin generics have an especially BAD reputation. That's why I was pleased to get Doug's
tip about Mallincrodt's METHYLIN being an exception. I took his advice and saved plenty. No complaints about the drug, either, although I never tried the brand.

I told my doc that I'd heard good things about this generic on an ADD website, and to make my RX "substitution permitted". Then I called around asking for it BY NAME until I found an Eckerd that had it.

k.