Bill of the month — $1,496 Kerydin prescription was a costly surprise : Shots, NPR

“When Anne Soloviev, a retiree who lives in Washington, D.C., received a prescription to treat toenail fungus, she never thought to ask how much the medicine cost,” writes Shefali Luthra over at NPR. Cheryl Diaz Meyer for KHN “When Anne Soloviev went to Braun Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center in Washington, D.C., for her semiannual dermatology checkup in early January, the physician assistant diagnosed fungus in two of her toenails,” writes Shefali Luthra over at NPR, in a continuing “Bill of the Month” series. “Soloviev hadn’t complained about her toenails or even noticed a problem. But the physician assistant offered a solution anyway. She called in a prescription for an antifungal medicine to a specialty pharmacy with mail-order services that would send it to Soloviev’s Capitol Hill home. It seemed like an easy fix to an inconsequential health issue. ‘I did not ask how much it cost — it never crossed my mind, ever,’ said Soloviev, a former French teacher, who still works part time. Then the bill came. The bill: $1,496.09 for Kerydin, a topical medication that treats toenail fungus. Originally produced by Anacor Pharmaceuticals, the drug is now a product of Sandoz, a division of Novartis.” Shefali Luthra, Bill Of The Month: $1,496 Kerydin Prescription Was A Costly Surprise,” Shots – Health News : NPR.