The high cost of asthma medication
published: Tuesday | December 24, 2002
THE EDITOR, Sir:
AS A concerned citizen and a mother of a nine-year-old asthmatic son I think it necessary to address issues regarding this illness. Asthma is a very prevalent illness especially in the early childhood age group. There is no cure for it so mothers like myself have to live with this illness for the rest of years that we will be responsible for our children. Some mothers are, however, lucky because their children outgrow this illness. I have no such luck.
The matters I wish to address concern the cost of medications. In addition to the hospital fees that you have to pay when you visit the hospital, there is also a prescription that you have to fill for continued treatment at home, unless you want to end up back in the hospital. The government pharmacies used to provide these medications at a cost of $200. For the last couple of months that I have visited the hospital these medications are not available especially the inhalers.
I am a parent of the group that society classifies as low socio-economic so it is really hard to be purchasing these medications at the private pharmacies. If the government really wants to help us, subsidise these medications that our children need. Are medications for asthma on your priority list for subsidy? These medications used to be available so why are they not anymore? It is really hard for mothers like myself to be spending almost $2,000 for two inhalers and one cough medicine.
