Skelaxin for relaxin

Our friend the PA prescribed us a muscle relaxant called Skelaxin. She thinks it's a good drug because it doesn't have a huge effect, it just helps the muscles let go go a little without making a person loopy in the head. You can take it and still function. I guess that other relaxants are more radical and have more problematic side effects.

So of course, Skelaxin would be the difficult one to get on Guam. At the first pharmacy I tried, they didn't carry it, so they sent me to a drug store in another village.

The drug store, by the way, was really old-fasioned - a Rexall. I remember drug stores like this from when I was little little. In addition to health and beauty items, they had random assorted knicknacks, clothing items... I forget what all. All on dusty wooden shelves in a squat low room with fluorescent lighting. I could have been in Michigan in the 80s, except everyone was speaking Tagalog.

So, the Rexall had the drug, but then they informed me that it wouldn't be covered by our insurance.  A generic is on the market, so the insurance refuses to pay for the more expensive name-brand drug.

Okay, can we get the generic? No, it has to be ordered and it won't arrive until Friday afternoon. How much if I just buy the Skelaxin? Over $200. $3.60 per tablet. Definitely worth it, and we're going to get reimbursed by the at-fault driver's insurance*, but I just don't have that much cash on hand. So can I get the generic somewhere else? Let's call around the island. Yes! Kmart pharmacy has three tablets. Of course I'd still pay the copay on those...

so, I ended up buying enough of the name-brand medication to hold us over until Friday when the generic arrives. I am so glad that I did, because it made life significantly easier for Nick and me both. We could sleep all night!

*as for the other driver's insuance, we don't actually know yet, but we're proceeding with the assumption that they will pay. Nick will start the process today. We talked about getting a local lawyer to take care of it for us, but that seemed overkill. There's no question of liability here...