Not only because I've been forced to stay away from Patty and Gabi. Not only because of the excruciating physical pain that comes with the shingles. But also because of the unbelievable cost of medication! Now that's truly painful.
As it is, I already spend close to P10,000 a month for my diabetes maintenance. This includes my insulin, oral medication (glucophage, minidiab, januvia, lipitor, etc.) as well as the necessary paraphernalia (gluco-meter strips and needles, insulin injection pen and needles, etc.).
For the shingles, I was given a prescription for Valtrex (Valaciclovir), 500 mg. I was told to take 2 tablets 3 times a day for 7 days or a total of 42 tablets. I sent the driver to Mercury Drug with P3,000 and my Suki card to buy the anti-viral medicine and one banig of Ponstan to manage the pain.
To my horror he came back 30 minutes later with just 17 Valtrex tablets. Each tablet was P171! He didn't even have enough to buy me one Ponstan 500mg tablet! And I was now in excruciating agony!
I took my last pair of Valtrex last night. My wallet can now breathe.
In all, I spent P7,182 in Valtrex alone. That's more than P1,000 a day for 7 days.
Now I feel sick.
And sad.
Whatever happened to the Cheaper Medicine Bill?! It's still pending with the bi-conference committee. It was not passed in the last Congress and by the way things look, it might not even be passed in this Congress.
What in heaven's name is our Congress doing to help the people who foolishly voted them into power?
Is the House of Representatives too busy inserting individual pork projects into the 2008 budget and ousting speakers who refuse to be puppets? Is the Senate too busy interrogating and humiliating common folk heroes like Jun Lozada?
I am better off than most. I have an insurance policy that takes care of even my medicine bills. But still. I pay my taxes. I fulfill my duties as a citizen. And yet I don't seem to get anything in return.
It is this system of government, this culture of unabated corruption and "moderated" greed that truly makes me and many others sick.
As it is, I already spend close to P10,000 a month for my diabetes maintenance. This includes my insulin, oral medication (glucophage, minidiab, januvia, lipitor, etc.) as well as the necessary paraphernalia (gluco-meter strips and needles, insulin injection pen and needles, etc.).
For the shingles, I was given a prescription for Valtrex (Valaciclovir), 500 mg. I was told to take 2 tablets 3 times a day for 7 days or a total of 42 tablets. I sent the driver to Mercury Drug with P3,000 and my Suki card to buy the anti-viral medicine and one banig of Ponstan to manage the pain.
To my horror he came back 30 minutes later with just 17 Valtrex tablets. Each tablet was P171! He didn't even have enough to buy me one Ponstan 500mg tablet! And I was now in excruciating agony!
I took my last pair of Valtrex last night. My wallet can now breathe.
In all, I spent P7,182 in Valtrex alone. That's more than P1,000 a day for 7 days.
Now I feel sick.
And sad.
Whatever happened to the Cheaper Medicine Bill?! It's still pending with the bi-conference committee. It was not passed in the last Congress and by the way things look, it might not even be passed in this Congress.
What in heaven's name is our Congress doing to help the people who foolishly voted them into power?
Is the House of Representatives too busy inserting individual pork projects into the 2008 budget and ousting speakers who refuse to be puppets? Is the Senate too busy interrogating and humiliating common folk heroes like Jun Lozada?
I am better off than most. I have an insurance policy that takes care of even my medicine bills. But still. I pay my taxes. I fulfill my duties as a citizen. And yet I don't seem to get anything in return.
It is this system of government, this culture of unabated corruption and "moderated" greed that truly makes me and many others sick.
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