Expensive Water, Con't.
Speaking of exorbitant prices for bottled water-- the vet prescribed Stanley some over-the-counter eye drops called "Muro 128" for his corneal edema. When she described this medication to me, she euphemistically referred to it as "5% NaCl solution", probably not realized that I was a Geology major and could readily translate this into "salty water". I think she was trying to make it sound sort of fancy, so that I wouldn't be so shocked by the price when I got to the drug store.
But I was shocked. A 15ml bottle of this salt water was $19.99. This works out to $5,117.44/gallon. Or, in just in terms of the "active ingredient", this is buying table salt for $26.65 a gram.
Okay, so it is sterile and all. But still.
So I bought a bottle, because I want the vet to think I'm a good owner and not diss me if I need a reference for the shelter or something. But if Stanley needs a refill, I will be seriously tempted to mix it up myself on the kitchen stove. Heck, I bet it would work even better if I carbonate it...
But I was shocked. A 15ml bottle of this salt water was $19.99. This works out to $5,117.44/gallon. Or, in just in terms of the "active ingredient", this is buying table salt for $26.65 a gram.
Okay, so it is sterile and all. But still.
So I bought a bottle, because I want the vet to think I'm a good owner and not diss me if I need a reference for the shelter or something. But if Stanley needs a refill, I will be seriously tempted to mix it up myself on the kitchen stove. Heck, I bet it would work even better if I carbonate it...
posted by Turbo at 8:12 PM
3 Comments:
Seems strange, when you can so easily buy sterile salty water in much larger bottles for so much less... My 355ml $3 bottle of saline won't tell me what proportion is water, so perhaps I am getting ripped off on the salt, but by my calculations even if it were 0.3% salty, it would still be less than one sixth the price for the same volume of salt.
(and I'm sure the math is suspect, and yours goes unchallenged. Mix some of those non-metric measurements AND use the ones that have different conversions depending on where on the continent you are, and I am out...)
What your vet won't tell you (but I will): Our 18 yo cat developed renal failure. We have to give him 200 cc sq fluid qd. The vet charged $40/bag (1000 cc/bag). Since I can write scripts, I did so at my local medical supply company. (After asking the owner, "Look. I know as a doc, I can be reported to the board for writing scripts for family members. Are you going to report me for writing this for my cat?" He laughed and assured me he would not.) They charge $30 for a box of 12 for the SAME BAGS. I could have asked my vet for the script, but I decided to switch vets on the spot.
And they talk about out of control costs of human health care...
They say everything's more fun with your hands in the air. I'm sure the same is true of carbonation.
BTW did I miss the post detailing how you went from Geology major to med student? Sounds like a rocky journey... (sorry couldn't resist. I tried. Honestly.)
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