lovaza (prescription fish oil)...biggest rip off ever

[largemansmay***]

I work in a business where I talk to people about the medications that they take and I feel horrible listening to elderly people spending about 10 times more than they should on fish oil. I want to punch any doctor in the face that prescribes this shit to someone on a fixed income. Seriously, in my book it is pretty much the same as taking money out of their pockets.

 

[Revok]

Vulnerable people being fleeced by doctors... in America?!!!

This is my shocked face.

 

[immovablestone]

Worse than giving out highly addictive opiates like free candy?

 

[August West]

This is horrible, and shows what is wrong with the FDA.

Just checking the price online, this "prescription medication" costs about $1 per gram dose. Each 1-gram capsule is 38% DHA, 47% EPA, and 17% other fish oils.

 

[Henry Swanson]

When Lovaza came out it didn't really suprise me all that much, I mean they already have an inferior prescription vitamin D out there, so overpriced fish oil wasn't that much of a stretch.

Dr. Davis(Heart Scan Blog) has said on his blog that he refuses to prescribe Lovaza because it's so overpriced and still stands by his usual preparations(Costco).

 

[FirstScratch]

I'm surprised it's still on the market. Most insurance plans refuse to cover any cost for Lovaza, and it's so far beyond cost-effective that no reasonable person would pay 100% of the cost to get it.

 

[dropshot001]

shocker, the pharmaceutical companies are ripping people off

 

[ronin0352]

$1 per serving for 840 mg of EPA/DHA? Seriously? And only with a prescription? How do they do it? My Carlson's has 1300 mg EPA/DHA @ $0.26 per serving.

 

[Henry Swanson]

The Heart Scan Blog: Lovaza

 

[Erik Hart]

I work in a business where I talk to people about the medications that they take and I feel horrible listening to elderly people spending about 10 times more than they should on fish oil. I want to punch any doctor in the face that prescribes this shit to someone on a fixed income. Seriously, in my book it is pretty much the same as taking money out of their pockets.

The doctor might not know the cost of it. Or he may think the patient actually has prescription drug coverage, in which case it may be cheaper than going to costco. I don't know why everyone always jumps to the worst possible conclusions.

 

[XTrainer]

^It's definitely not cheaper for the insurance company, nor is it cheaper for the rest of the people in insurance pool. It's rather indefensible, actually. But I don't blame the people who make Lovaza. They're taking advantage of a pervasive anti-supplement attitude. They "pharmaceuticalized" fish oil, giving it legitimacy with crowds that would have ignored it before. Frankly, that's good business. It's just a shame that the health/wellness environment was in a state to facilitate that.

 

[Henry Swanson]

A lot of people put their faith in "FDA Approved." Someone who might be scared of taking a regular fish oil product, could be more comfortable taking something that has been FDA approved even though it often does mean much.

 

[Lochlan]

A lot of people put their faith in "FDA Approved." Someone who might be scared of taking a regular fish oil product, could be more comfortable taking something that has been FDA approved even though it often does mean much.

Thalidimide was FDA approved

 

[Henry Swanson]

Thalidimide was FDA approved

Which coincides with what I'm saying. a lot of people accept the label "FDA Approved" strictly on blind faith. "Well if the FDA approved it, then it can't be bad for me."

 

[Lochlan]

Which coincides with what I'm saying. a lot of people accept the label "FDA Approved" strictly on blind faith. "Well if the FDA approved it, then it can't be bad for me."

People have short memories..and the FDA has a good PR company I guess.

 

[XTrainer]

Which coincides with what I'm saying. a lot of people accept the label "FDA Approved" strictly on blind faith. "Well if the FDA approved it, then it can't be bad for me."

What are you, some kind of conspiracy theorist!?

/sarcasm

 

[Hamsterdam]

Businesses charging as much as they can for their product? Outrageous!

 

[Erik Hart]

^It's definitely not cheaper for the insurance company, nor is it cheaper for the rest of the people in insurance pool.

Depending on your insurance, it may cost you less.

 

[turbozed]

Depending on your insurance, it may cost you less.

The cost is spread to others through rising premiums. Money doesn't come from nowhere.

It's really hard to see Lovaza as anything other than a racket. Since you're big on the whole appeal to authority thing, check out the heart scan blog; he's a real doctor and not just some guy on the internet so you can't just flippantly dismiss whatever arguments he makes like you do here.

 

[XTrainer]

Depending on your insurance, it may cost you less.

I understand that. Reread my post. Or, read turbo's post, he says the same thing:

The cost is spread to others through rising premiums. Money doesn't come from nowhere.

Someone has to pay for them. If the patient has insurance, and the insurance company has to pay for them, what do you think happens to the prices people pay for insurance?