It’s been a long day and when you get home your child tells you their bottom itches more than they can stand. You’ve been dreading this day. As you pull the scotch tape out you’re already prepared for the result: Pinworm.
After you’ve confirmed the ugly truth, you head to the doctor who writes you a prescription. You go to the pharmacy to fill it only to find out it costs $800 and is not covered by your insurance.
For you and the estimated 40 million Americans who contract pinworms every year, this is a shocking scene that is becoming all too real.
According to Consumer Reports, Cheryl Kennedy, the mother of a four-year-old girl in Chicago, went to fill a pinworm prescription only it find out it cost almost $700 even with insurance.
Before we blame the doctors, we have to understand that the prescription medication for pinworms is an older, off-patent drug that was usually around $3 a pill. Doctors have been prescribing them for decades thinking them to be an affordable solution.
According to Healio.com, “Wholesale prices of albendazole (Albenza, LGM Pharma) increased from $3.16 to $582 between 2010 and 2019, whereas prices for mebendazole (Emverm, Amneal) spiked from $32 to $2,853 during the same time period.”
Enter Reese’s Pinworm Medicine. When Cheryl Kennedy called her doctor back to ask if there was an alternative he suggested she try an over-the-counter remedy called Reese’s Pinworm Medicine that costs less than $15. According to Consumer Reports, Reese’s Pinworm Medicine quickly cleared up her daughter’s pinworm.
If you find yourself in the doctor’s office staring down a pinworm prescription be sure to ask if there’s an alternative or ask your doctor about Reese’s Pinworm Medicine. For more information about where you can find it, check out our store locator.