Thursday, May 9, 2013

Drug Mule, Part 3,456,896 in a series**



Good Lord, ya'll!

I think I've graduated from drug mule to racehorse! I found out about a non-profit organization that gives grants for certain medical conditions to cover unaffordable medical costs, so I applied and received word that we will be receiving financial assistance for the costs related to Sophie's diagnosis. This means I'll be able to go to our local Rite-Aid and pick up the Onfi prescribed to Sophie instead of engaging the help of Canadian friends. I heard about Caring Voice Coalition, ironically, from a representative of the drug company that makes Onfi. He got my number from our neurologist who has been busy helping me to figure out a way to get this drug to Sophie without resorting to swallowing tiny packages of it and slipping over the border that separates The Sane from the Insane (that would be Canada and the United States). My first reaction when The Man From Big Pharm called was to pull out my breadstick and start taking deep inhalations. Let me get this right, I remember saying to The Man From Big Pharm, instead of lowering the cost of your drug so that normal people can afford it, you donate tens of millions of dollars to non-profit foundations to pick up the cost of said drug? The Man From Big Pharm laughed uncomfortably and told me that age-old expression that Little Men and Women of Industry are all trained to say: I understand your frustration. Reader, you know me so I'll leave it to your imagination what the rest of the conversation entailed. I eventually thanked The Man from Big Pharm for listening to my tirade, took down the name of Caring Voice Coalition, sighed and moaned for a bit about the insanity of it all and then investigated, filled out the application, sent it off and waited.

Good Lord, ya'll! We did get the grant -- a sizable one that will cover the expense of Onfi for the near future.  I just have a few more papers to sign, some telephone calls to make and I think we're set! I am grateful for the help of our neurologist in pleading our case with Big Pharm. I am indebted to the two Drug Mules that brought Sophie's medication from The Sane across the border to The Insane. I am filled with gratitude for the sweet, efficient woman assigned to our case at Caring Voice Coalition. I'm even a tiny bit thankful that The Man from Big Pharm allowed me a holy and righteous rant. I'm also grateful to all my readers here and just know that you'll allow me to continue being a bit mulish about Big Pharm in general.




**If you're new to this blog and want the back story, read where it all started and my favorite post  HERE. Then read HERE and HERE. If you search for all my posts that contain the words "drug mule," you'll find a veritable bonanza.

17 comments:

  1. We all just do what we gotta do.....no matter how it get gets done!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm sure Big Pharma Guy doesn't even know that he received a tirade from you, given your genteel Southern upbringing. And Hallelujah for the Caring Voice Coalition!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well isn't this refreshing. And sounded as if it was relatively painless. Which is a welcomed change for sure.

    Now if I could find someone to help me sort out the insanity of our medical/Gold Coast/ CCS fiasco, I would be ecstatic. Something new daily. Rant or no rant. Not easy to make headway.

    Happy for ya'll. Just trying to fit in with you and the darling Lisa L. Which really is impossible. On many levels.

    ReplyDelete
  4. "I understand your frustration". No, you don't, now, can we have a normal conversation, like two normal human beings? I admire your persevarance.

    Greetings from London.

    ReplyDelete
  5. OMG! and Yay! I'm so happy for you.
    xxoo

    ReplyDelete
  6. That's wonderful! I hope the funds gets to you quickly! Time to give that mule some hay and a rest. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is fantastic news. Anything to make it a bit easier for you I say hallelujah to!

    ReplyDelete
  8. My mother's doctor hooked her up with Caring Voice Coalition. She lived about eight years longer than she should have because of those folks. They are wonderful. I am happy for you and for your beautiful Sophie.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wonderful news! I am, I admit, a tiny bit sad that I can no longer imagine you as an outlaw. Perhaps you can dissent in some other way.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sometimes the magic works and I'm so happy it worked this time and may it work next time too and on. xo

    ReplyDelete
  11. That really is insane. Why would they price the drug so high and then donate the proceeds? (I suspect they make more than they donate.) Anyway, I'm glad this worked out so well for you, and for Sophie. It's still ridiculous that you should have to navigate such a labyrinthine system to get medication when Canadians can just go buy it. It's ridiculous and outrageous.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Now I understand that "works in mysterious ways" language.

    ReplyDelete
  13. God, that's awesome! Could you pass on the name of the non-profit? I have a few friends at Canadian universities who might be happy to get involved...

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love that you got the grant! And I find it more than a little bit ironic that you found out about it from the company that is causing you to need one, but my suspicion is that they can make money hand over fist on the medication and then write off their donations on their taxes. Much easier to line one's pockets that way than to lower the cost of the drug. And I guess they can convince themselves that they're creating jobs by enabling this non-profit organization to exist. Ugh.

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...