After my month with Addreall XR, I was given a prescription for IR instead, 3x a day. I was talking to my close friend about what happened this past weekend at the doc's etc, mentioned what I got etc. He has recently been diagnosed, however has no insurance so everything has been out of his pocket. He is by no means a millionaire, works as a prep cook I believe at one job, then as a bus boy at another. Well that being said, when he got his prescription for Adderall IR, he only had enough money for two weeks, I think it was roughly 60 or so dollars? At any rate he had run out.

I get a phone call from him a few minutes ago (this really bothered me somewhat) after the general chit chat, he asked me for a favor, if I could give him a few of my IR's to get him through the week till his next appointment with his doctor. I honestly did not know what to say. I myself am fortunate now, to have health coverage, and while the entire 90 pill script did not cost more than a few dollars, it is what it is. The other half of me is hoping and praying that this is not leading him down some other path I don't know about. He has been a recovering alcoholic/drug user, sober for 8 or so years now (I was not present at the time of this or involved) and I just found it difficult to believe he couldn't call his doctor (I should believe that cause they make it so damn difficult to contact anyone in the healthcare profession) and explain the situation. I only had enough money for this many pills etc, can I get more etc etc. I offered to give him the money he needed to buy his meds, not sure if that was better or worse. His reply to that was money isn't the issue, he can't get another refill till he goes in to see the doctor.

I may or may not use 3 a day of my RX, im still working that out right now, I'm a bleeding heart, I hate to see people in a tough time, especially when I know I can help them out (all my problems aside). I've never felt so sketchy, if I can use that word correctly in this sitation, about something before. I myself am not an addict, have not used or taken any illegal drug, aside from the occasional martini or finely crafted micro brew (beer snob) so I don't have the tools to see if there is something else goin on here.

Well I got that off my chest, don't feel better but least I got it out :)

For starters, a pharmacy is not allowed by law to sell any amount less, or more than what is written on the prescription. If it says 100 pills, and all you can afford is 50 pills, then you are unfortunately out of luck until you can afford to buy the 100 pills.

In my opinion your "friend" is probably using more than he should for recreational purposes. I say that because of what you stated about him having issues concerning drugs & alcohol, and also because of the lie he told you about only purchasing two weeks worth of medication.

Sharing controlled drugs is something that is punished severely. I have heard reports of high school kids (18 year olds) who were busted sharing Ritalin with friends at school who got 7 year prison sentences. They had no prior record of any kind either. Not only is a 7 year sentence a long time, but when it involves a drug crime it means that the sentence will be a "mandatory minimum sentence," and therefore no chance of parole. It also means that the person convicted will most likely not be allowed to recieve their medication anymore.

If you are smart, you will tell your friend to contact his Dr. I know how tempting it can be to share medication, especially with a person who needs it, but the risk is something that is not worth taking. Do you think your friend is not going to ask again down the road? I would be willing to bet that he will indeed, because he will know that you are sympathetic on this issue. Please do the right thing, because its not worth the jail time or having to be forced off your medication for something like this.

If he is a real friend, then he will understand. If he is an addict, he will not.

Glad I posted. I had never heard of such a thing before, then again I'm pretty naive. I figure'd ok, he only had x amount of cash on him, they gave him what they could, done deal. I guess not.

I'll be calling him back and telling him no, he should talk to his doctor directly. I'm just a lil bit ****ed now, when I had the XR's he was never interested in them, he said it didden't work for him etc, but the IR's were great and he had people at work who would give him some. I've dealt with my father and his alcohol addiction, I'll be damned if I'm going to go to jail for something like this. Seriousness aside, I'll tell him on the phone, I'll buy him a month's supply of Monster Energy or AMP drink's and that should sort him out.

Sigh, im really dissapointed now, if what you've said about the RX filling being true.

What else can life throw at me today, bring it on :) Thanks for the info!

You're very welcome for the info, and I am glad to hear that you are choosing to do the right thing.

Done deal, my mom called while I was thinking this through, good timing. She works in a Dr's office, and had in a round about way, told me the same thing. Thanks again for jumping on this so quickly.

If your friend presses you, I'd tell him there are prescription drug programs that can help sometimes with the cost of medication. I heard with Cephalon, who produces Provigil, that they have a program where you can call them directly. Not sure if this is true, but he can look around.

Anyway, that's one way to divert his asking you for yours. I personally would never give anyone any of my meds for any reason. Not only would I be putting them at risk for aiding in their taking a med they are not prescribed, but I'd be putting myself at risk for getting in trouble, losing my doctor or pharmacists's trust and then not being able to get the meds I need for myself.

Not worth it. Glad you got the info you need on this so quickly!

nope nope nope.

Shire might have a needy meds program. Check it out.

Does Medicaid or Medicare help people?

Alternately, Dexedrine is much cheaper (also "amphetamine"). About 1/2 the price.

he should ask his Doc for that. It also comes in an SR type format.

when he got his prescription for Adderall IR, he only had enough money for two weeks, I think it was roughly 60 or so dollars?I forgot to mention this earlier, but I would suggest that you advise your friend to be sure and shop around for the pharmacy in your area that has the best price.

I have found that places like Walgreens, CVS, & Right-aid are notorious for price gouging. In contrast, places like Wal-mart, Kmart, and Kroger pharmacy are quite reasonable. For example, I pay $64.00 for 200 of the generic 10 mg dextroamphetamine IR tablets at Wal-mart or Kroger (they match each others price), and CVS sells the exact same generic tablet for $136.00. Last year I decided to get back on the brand name Dexedrine to re-evaluate things. The lowest price I found was at Kmart for $210, and the highest price I found was at CVS for $490, for the exact same thing. I feel that the price gouging that some pharmacies are involved in is unethical, and I try to educate as many people as I can concerning the extent of this problem.

People with insurance seem indifferent to the price gouging since they only have to come up with their co-pay. However, I would like to encourage everyone to try and support the pharmacies in their area that have lowest prices because those pharmacies are the pharmacies that are more concerned about their patients welfare than they are concerned about the money that they can get out of them.

I have been paying out of pocket for my medication for over 15 years now, and I have found that the price gouging that some of these pharmacies are involved in goes on in everytown across the USA. Call around for some price quotes in your town and be prepared for a shock.

Yes, thank you, thank you, thank you, Lars, for bringing this up!


Wholesale clubs like BJs and Sam's Club that have pharmacies that have much lower prices. In my area they carry most stimulants and other meds, though I know some don't.

I unfortunately live in a small town not close to many places, and in a moment of weakness (i.e. severe fibromyalgia fatigue and literal weakness as well as psychological) I took my first prescription for Adderall to the only place close by, which was CVS. Alas, now I'm sort of stuck there because I'm worried switching amphetamine prescriptions around to different pharmacies will raise a red flag of some sort.

I have insurance now, but for a long time I didn't. When I saw the cost without, I was not surprised. CVS prices are almost 1/3 higher than Wal-Mart, and probably double the price at a wholesale club.

I almost feel like allowing my insurance company to pay CVS that amount is traitorous to my former uninsured self.

I'm worried switching amphetamine prescriptions around to different pharmacies will raise a red flag of some sort. I would not be paranoid about that if I were you. I remember initially feeling like that too, and looking back I regret feeling paranoid about it. Law enforcement usually makes pretty darn sure that a person is guilty of having broken the law with prescription medications before interfering with a Dr's prescribed treatment. Your Dr prescibed a medication for you, and you are free to choose the pharmacy you wish to use. I have switched countless times over the years, and will likely continue to switch.



CVS prices are almost 1/3 higher than Wal-Mart, and probably double the price at a wholesale club. The CVS pharmacies that I've encountered were each at least double the price of Walmart, Kmart, or Kroger. I've noticed also that they seem to price gouge with all of the prescription drugs they sell. In fact about two years ago or so I got a prescription for Amoxil (antibiotic) to treat a sinus infection I as I recall, and I opted to get the generic amoxicillin since it's more affordable than the Amoxil. Well, Kroger quoted me a price of $18.00, and CVS quoted me a price of $49.00 for the exact same generic version of amoxicillin.



I almost feel like allowing my insurance company to pay CVS that amount is traitorous to my former uninsured self. I don't think that would be "traitorous" to your former uninsured self IMO, but by allowing your insurance company to pay for all that price gouging is certainlly enabling CVS to continue doing what they are doing.

My biggest concern about pharmacies like CVS & others who price gouge is how they take advantage of the elderly, and the uninsured. There are many elderly people in this nation who sometimes have to choose between food or medicine every month. I can picture an elderly couple going into a CVS, or Right-aid, or Walgreens and thinking to themselves, "well, the price of Metamucil is only 10 cents more here than at Walmart, so I doubt that the price of our prescription will be that much more either." However, the price of their prescription could be hundreds of dollars more than the pharmacy across the street. I honestly don't see how the pharmacist that work in those pharmacies can sleep at night knowing that they are taking advantage of the elderly and the poor everyday like they do.

OK, I will get off my box now.:soapbox: :o

No, don't get off the box! Get more people to join you up there! LOL....

Well, it's really not a laughing matter. Thanks for sharing your prior experience. I have a new Adderall prescription and one for Provigil, and I am filling them both somewhere else.

I actually came across lars's thread about the price gouging a bit before I got my new prescription for IR, and as fate would have it, I had to get a refil at a different pharmacy, and it was considerably less than the other pharmacy. I did pass this off to my friend and let him know.

He did however still come up last night and there wasn't anything weird uncomfortable about it, which was nice. He definately needs to get back on his meds though, I noticed a huge change, and he noticed a huge change in me as well, mine good, his bad. I told him in a round about way, ya know, asking me for some meds was something that I didden't appreciate, and don't do it again. Hopefully this little incident will be forgotten and life will go on :)

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>price gouging (dictionary.com)</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>
noun</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>pricing above the market price when no alternative retailer is available </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


I don't mean to get technical, but those pharmacies can charge whatever they want to for these drugs. In retail there will always be differences in prices. I would hardly say it is right, but legal unfortunately.


<!-- google_ad_section_end(name=def) -->Also I have Crohn's disease and I have paid for only part of my prescription. The pharmacy just puts the rest on hold. You can buy two weeks worth. Its not that the pharmacy is selling less than what is prescribed, they are still selling the same amount, just at different times.