May 4, 2007
The Ambien CR reps must be out in force…
This whole week, I've seen probably double the number of Ambien CR scripts as usual. Cutting into the usual volume of new Ambien prescriptions. This makes sense, of course. What with generic Ambien now available, we must educate those docs on the benefits of a controlled release zolpidem formulation!
What a crock of shit.
Also of note is that generic zolpidem is less than half the price of it's name-brand counterpart — startling, given that new generic drugs typically run around 80% of the price of its brand competition for that first six months. I'm sure insurance companies are lovin' it.
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I've only filled a few zolpidem scripts so far, but in every case, the copay was cut in half or more. One patient paid $50 for his Ambien last month, and this month his copay was $5. Needless to say, he was ecstatic.
-Andrew, CPhT
pharmcountry.net
Comment by Andrew — May 4, 2007 @ 9:57 pm
Actually, come to think of it, most of the Ambien scripts have been refills. Most of the new Ambien scripts have been for the CR…
Hmm.
Comment by RJS — May 4, 2007 @ 10:02 pm
Generic, brand name, CR; makes no difference. I hate Ambien with a passion. Everyone asking for it either needs an antidepressant or a sleep study.
Comment by #1 Dinosaur — May 5, 2007 @ 1:06 pm
Dr Dino,
I don't know that I agree with you entirely. For those of us with transient sleep issues, I think Ambien is probably a fantastic drug. Similar to taking a benzo periodically for the same thing.
I think you're probably spot-on regarding those who take the drug every single night for chronic insomnia, however.
Personally, I've been battling sleep issues for the last two weeks, and I know exactly why: lots of changes going on in my life. As soon as I adjust to them and assimilate them and recalibrate normality, I'll be fine. But damn if it doesn't suck between now and then…!
But I'm also crazy about not being dependent on any psychotropic drug. For instance, I won't even drink coffee more than 3 days a week — and never more than two cups at a time — even though it's probably my favorite beverage. I'd do the same thing with Ambien if I were taking it…
But I don't think this (healthy) paranoia is common in the lay population.
Comment by RJS — May 5, 2007 @ 10:39 pm
Allow me to clarify:
People with transient sleep issues (situational stress or travel, for example) ask for "something to help me sleep."
People who ask specifically for Ambien are the ones who are (or are going to be) dependent on it.
(And yes, I'll be around for the next 2 weeks.)
Comment by #1 Dinosaur — May 6, 2007 @ 1:54 pm
[...] uncommon to hear people complain about the cost of Ambien (with apologies to Dr Dino
). Until recently, Ambien was one of the most expensive, yet most common medications. And also widely complained [...]
Pingback by OK so it’s expensive but would you really rather go without it? :: OnThePharm — May 8, 2007 @ 8:26 am
[...] On a related note, I'm waiting for the day drug companies get a clue and make writing the original, IR version of a drug more troublesome to prescribe than the inevitable extended-release forms. Call it "Coreg IR" the first time around, and then call your extended release, patent-protected, evergreened, overpriced bullshit version plain old "Coreg." As though it were Coreg As It Was Meant To Be — like that marketing shit Sanofi-Aventis tried with Ambien. [...]
Pingback by What the GSK man asked, and what he fears :: OnThePharm — September 11, 2007 @ 11:31 pm
What, if any, is the difference between Ambien and Ambien CR
Comment by Betty Ann — October 9, 2007 @ 8:18 am
Oh…hold on there…I haven't slept since as long as I can remember…perhaps three-years-old…and I'm 47. It took the doctors (and I stress "doctors") about six years to get me to even TRY Ambien. I hate taking it (I hate medication of any kind…period) - have been taking it for the last couple years…but if I don't take it I don't sleep more than 30 minutes and it takes me three hours to even get to sleep. If you haven't had the problems…don't even remotely try to judge people. Have been to a sleep study doctor and he told me, and I quote, "if it's not a problem to you…and you seem to have dealt with it well since you've been three…it's not a problem"…well, it IS a problem. Just because I've "dealt with it" doesn't mean I LIKE it.
What is a person like me supposed to do? I can't turn my brain off to start to sleep without anything. So I am supposed to just "deal with it"?
Comment by Mariann — March 3, 2008 @ 2:43 am
I thought it would be cheaper to get the generic version of Ambien at my pharmacy, but I was told it would cost over $100 (even with my insurance). WTH?
Comment by sicco — April 9, 2008 @ 11:33 pm