The Cost of HIV Medications

Once a patient discovers they have HIV, they have some decisions to make. They need to meet with their provider to come up with a treatment plan. They can decide to not take any medications, try alternative medicine, or try a combination of HIV medications currently on the market.

With that being said, if they decide on the medication route, it can be very expensive (especially if they do not have insurance). Another problem is that many of the HIV medications are new, which means there is not a generic (cheaper) medication available as a substitute for the more expensive med. There are programs that can help pay for the meds, but that’s only if the patient is approved. They must meet certain criteria to be approved.

Medications are VERY expensive to create since so much research has to go into it. Often drugs take 10 years before they are approved by the FDA and can go on the market.

Questions: Do you think it’s right that these medications cost so much? Why or Why not? 

What suggestions would you give a patient that could not pay for their HIV meds?