This post is brought to you by SIRUM. All opinions are my own.
I’ll cut right to the chase, because time is limited. Right now, sharing your story by February 28th about a time that you had to leave your medicine at the counter of the pharmacy because you couldn’t afford it could help prevent that from happening to others in the future. How? Actually, it’s quite an awesome idea, and I’m really proud to be working on the campaign to support it.
Share Your Story to Help Millions of Americans Get Access to Medications
SIRUM is a service created by a team of Stanford grads that helps save lives by collecting unopened, unexpired medications from pharmacies, manufacturers and other facilities, then providing them to patients in need. SIRUM actually stands for “Supporting Initiatives to Redistribute Unused Medicines.” Did you know that $5 billion worth of medications are wasted every single year? These are often perfectly fine medications that could go to those in need. Why do so many facilities destroy these medications? Typically, because vague laws and lack of support from Congress for initiatives in place to redistribute them.
On March 8th, SIRUM will go to Congress and try to change this by asking for more support for their program. That’s where they need YOU!
Sharing your story by February 28th about a time that you couldn’t afford your medicine is VITAL to their mission. They need as many stories as possible to take with them when they approach Congress. You don’t have to leave your name if you don’t want to. You just have to answer a few questions. These include:
- Which health issues did you or your loved one have trouble treating due to the high cost of medicine?
- How else did not being able to afford medicine affect you or your loved one? (Health, finances, employment, etc.)
- Are there any other details you can share, such as the name of the medications, their cost, or anything else?
To inspire you, I’ll share a story of my own. When I was on state insurance, cough medicine was NOT covered for anyone over age 18. Basically, if your lungs were drowning in fluid, too bad. So sad. We’re not covering it. I didn’t find that out until I had horrible bronchitis and my doctor prescribed two different types of cough medicine. One was a liquid, one was a gel capsule. When I got to the pharmacy, I found out that neither were covered.
I ended up crying in the middle of the pharmacy. I just stood there bawling, because I was so sick and didn’t know what to do. I was so broke at that time that any unexpected cost was too much. I couldn’t get them. I pretty much just suffered, taking way more over-the-counter medication than I should have. That’s a big problem when people can’t afford the medications they NEED. They self-medicate with what they have. Very dangerous.
My story is mild compared to many others. I lived with a bad cough for a week. Some people have to leave life-saving medicine behind because they can’t afford it. Some people live in pain for years because they can’t afford medication. Even with all the health care reform and the Affordable Care Act, there are many medications that either aren’t covered or are capped at a certain number of doses per month.
SIRUM really is a wonderful organization. They’re non-profit and passionate about getting medications to those who need it. They’re not asking for money, just a few minutes of your time. If you have a story about a time when you couldn’t afford your medication, PLEASE share it with them by February 28th. If you know anyone else with a story, pass this along and have them share it.
SHARE YOUR STORY WITH SIRUM HERE
It’s crazy how much more some medications cost than others. It can get very pricey!
I know! I’ve seen some that cost thousands of dollars just for like a week’s worth!
I think this is such a great cause, working in pharmaceutical company i know sometimes manufacturers have a lot of left overs same with pharmacies. Definitely in support of this.
Medicine is very expensive. When I was diagnosed, I was unable to afford all of the medicine that I was prescribed for pneumonia, which resulted in me not getting it. I feel better now but the medicine may could have helped me feel better sooner.
It is honestly crazy to me how expensive medication and prescriptions can be. I can’t imagine how people pay for things out of pocket!
I’ve never really needed any type of medication or prescriptions until I was pregnant and had to get stuff out of pocket, which was crazy and wasn’t covered at the time. Other than that, I don’t any currently. But I will pass this on to my parents who are on a pile of stuff.
So true! Medication and prescriptions are so expensive! It can be quite scary to go to the doctor or the pharmacy. I’m so glad we can do something as simple as this and help lower the costs of these drugs!
I haven’t heard of this company, but thanks for introducing them to me. The price of medications simply blows my mind in the US. Before moving to Hong Kong I had great insurance, so I never had to worry. And in HK the price of medicine is very cheap for top quality stuff… but now that we’ve moved back to the US and don’t have insurance. It’s been a nightmare! Prices are ridiculous.
I haven’t had a time where I had to leave medications behind because of cost or lack of coverage. I’ve been lucky enough to have too many medical issues that would cause me to need meds like that. I have been in the back of a line when someone has had to leave meds behind, and it’s hearbreaking to see. Wow, that’s crazy about cough medicine not being covered for anyone over the age of 18.
Stories like yours make me crazy. We are fortunate to live in Canada where medical bills are covered BUT prescription drugs are not. If you don’t have a plan you’re out our luck. I have a friend that paid out over $15,000 last year because she had no drug plan.
It’s insane how much some medications cost!!! When I was Preggo I wasn’t gaining weight super fast regardless of how much I ate, so my doctor prescribed me a prenatal prescription strength and omg…. $345! For a freakn vitamin!!! I could only imagine how much medications for real sicknesses must cost of a vitamin can break the bank -_-
It is so amazing to me how certain medications are covered by insurance companies and others are not. Then to add insult to injury, they charge astronomical fees for the meds that are not covered! I believe everyone should have access to medication covered by insurance when in need!
I think medicine should be free. We all deserve our lives and our health. It really baffles me how ridiculous healthcare is but we can all do our best to make little positive changes!