I found a coupon that I had thought was lost for 2 free weeks of pharmacist Stavzor. I had tried to use it when I was in Michigan around the holidays, but they did not carry Stavzor in stock. It is a newer drug and actually both Walgreens and CVS that I visited didn't have it.
So, I put the order in for 2 weeks and it should be in on Monday or Tuesday. But the great thing is that the that I spoke with said that bipolar illness is kind of a speciality of his. He told me about a number of family members that have the diagnosis. I won't put his name down, or even what Walgreens I went to, but I am so impressed with Walgreens right now. Honestly I have never had a better encounter with a pharmacist. Never! So I am happy to plug Walgreens all day.
He confirmed what I thought was true about some alternatives to the Stavzor. The active ingredient is valporic acid, which does come in a generic. If I switched to the generic (with my doctor's approval, of course) it would only cost $42.36/month, or $119.08 for a three month supply. That figures out to be $39.70 a month, if you buy ahead. Now you need a Walgreen's Discount Card to get this and there is a yearly fee of $10 - $20.
Still, I was very concerned that I might have to find a different drug from the Stavzor. Still, what does the consumer get for paying $300 more a month for Stavzor, than for generic valporic acid? Stavzor is timed released which helps keep a constant stream of the meds in one's system. You don't need to take it as often, so that is a helpful benefit. And Stavzor is a pretty, easy to swallow coating.
Is it hard to swallow that those benefits (which aren't insignificant) should cost $300 more a month? Right now, I'm just not sure.
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