Money Money Money

Must be funny , in a PHARMAC world.....Apologies to both Abba and anyone not in New Zealand, allow me to explain. Pharmac are the government authority that licenses and approves drugs for use in NZ, and regulate the supply and dispensing of prescription drugs here. Now as you may be aware, after a  an organ transplant we have to take daily doses of anti rejection drugs, so that the body's natural defences don't attack the new organ, though why mine would have any energy to attack is anyone's guess, as I am normally so placid.....
So as you saw before I have to take a huge combination of tablets, namely 10 differing pills at breakfast, 5 at 10am, another 5 at dinner and then finally 7 at 10pm, as well as copious amounts of painkillers whilst the invasive surgery heals, which could be for another 2 months. Its a wonder I have any appetite at all...
Now the point of todays mad ramble is the surprising cost of the drugs....

Attached is a photo of the Prescription receipt, and just look at the Tacrolimus 5mgCapsules...$1556.46!! and that is for 1 month, so over a year that currently equals $18,672. So multiply that up by a supposed life expectancy of the transplant of 25 years, that comes to $466,800, just for that 1 drug!!!
Add on the other rejection drug, which over the life of the transplant is $52,050, making a total of $518,850! Wow, that sure is a lot of taxpayers money, I do feel slightly guilty as this is exactly what immigration feared in their initial assessment of my residency application in 2005. Thank goodness I got residency before the kidney kicked off and decided to go on strike. Nasty despicable little organ, I am well pleased to be shot of it.
On the other hand I could have bought a new Porsche with all that money.....
As Abba once said Mamma Mia!, I feel As Good as New, and the winner does indeed take it all