What’s the cost of diabetes?

MANILA, Philippines — Many Filipinos put off seeking treatment even when they feel sick or even notice symptoms of getting sick. They often find all the excuses like they’re too tired from work, too busy or going to the doctor costs too much money. 

It’s not really wrong but no one should wait until it’s too late—especially with diabetes.

In the Philippines, the number of Filipinos diagnosed with diabetes and pre-diabetes is over 5 million. The number may be higher especially with those who have not sought doctor consultation. In 2017, it has been reported that over 50,000 Filipinos have died due to diabetes-related complications such as kidney failure, heart disease and more.

Diabetes is a lifestyle disease, meaning that much of one’s eating habits and everyday work and home routine contribute the development of the disease. 

Most of the time, the symptoms are developed slowly over time and are often unnoticed or even ignored. Symptoms like blurred vision, extreme fatigue, slow healing wounds, excessive thirst and urination, and headaches may often be dismissed or blamed on other factors. 

If a person has diabetes that means the quantity of glucose in the blood is too elevated because the body is not able to produce enough or no insulin, or has cells that don’t respond properly to the insulin produced. 

There are different types of diabetes such as Type 1 or insulin dependent, Type 2 or non-insulin dependent, gestational diabetes or diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy, and secondary diabetes that can be caused by a number of reasons.

In its late stages, many doctors agree that it can be very expensive to treat diabetes. How much do you need to spend if you have diabetes?

Here’s a general idea of how much it would cost.

Doctor visits: About P1,000 up monthly

Depending if you have an HMO plan that would cover the costs of the doctor’s fee, your average spend would be around P500 per visit.  With a condition such as diabetes, you could be asked by your doctor to visit once or twice a month for monitoring. 

Laboratory fees: Average of P1,600 monthly

Laboratory costs will vary depending on where you avail of them and the number of tests your doctor requires. You might be asked to take some but not limited to the following tests: Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) for P80 to P180, Oral Glucose Tolerant Test (OGTT) for P550 to P835, and Hemoglobin A1c (HA1c) for P600 to P900. You may not need to spend this much per month unless directed by your doctor to monitor your blood sugar condition.

Hospital stay: Average of P2,500 per night

Again, cost of hospital stay (hospital fees, doctors’ fees, laboratory fees not included) will depend on where you will be confined, duration of stay, your HMO plan and the diabetes related complications you might have. According to travelwise.com the average cost in the Philippines for a one-night stay in the hospital is P2,500. 

Medical supplies: Around P4,200 plus monthly repurchase

To monitor your blood sugar levels at home, you will need a Blood Sugar Monitor or a Diabetic Glucometer averaging around P2,000 and Glucometer strips costing around P1,000 for 25 pieces. If your diabetes treatment requires insulin, insulin syringes costs around P1,200 for 100 pieces.

Prescription medicines: Thousands of pesos a month!

The most affordable insulin medication available in DOH-Retained hospitals costs P500 per dose, meaning usually taken once to twice a day, that’s already P30,000 a month. In other hospitals especially in private ones will cost much higher.  Branded Metformin 500mg can cost up to P1,500 per box of 100 tablets. Sitagliptin Phosphate, also used to improve glycemic control, can cost up to P62 per tablet, taken once a day will cost P1,860 a month. 

The prices are averaged from costs taken from easily searched websites of DOH, private and public hospitals, drugstores, and medical supply stores. 

We are not talking about the other complications that can develop from untreated diabetes such as high blood pressure, heart disease, blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, and more!  

You can imagine the medicine costs, treatments and doctor visits run into the tens of thousands of pesos if not more.

Cut your costs and ACT now

Although, Philippines has been reported to have one of the highest prices for branded medicine among Asian countries, generic medicines are now available and affordable with the "Generics Act of 1988." But it is important to carefully choose the quality of generic medicines and not just the price.

Consider drugstores like Generika Drugstore that guarantees that its generic medicines are from reputable local and imported sources that comply with the highest manufacturing standards and with the right transportation and storage methods in dry, air-conditioned units to ensure the efficacy of the medicine.

In addition, Generika Drugstore also offers affordable Fasting Blood Sugar Testing for only P25 per test through which you can monitor your blood sugar levels.

However, the best way you can cut costs is to ACT now and prevent diabetes from getting worse!

A – dd exercise to your daily routine

C – hange your diet

T – ake food supplements that can help lower blood sugar levels.

Supplements aren’t chemicals or artificial preservatives. They are made from natural vegetables and plants that you can add to your health-changing diet.

Nutrawell Ampalaya, Banaba & Luyang Dilaw is made from all-natural powdered leaves and fruits of Ampalaya, powdered leaves of Banaba, and powdered rhizomes of Ginger. Its exact formula gives maximum effectiveness to manage and lower the body’s blood sugar and cholesterol levels which is better than traditionally boiling the herbs into tea.

Taken daily, Nutrawell Ampalaya, Banaba & Luyang Dilaw also helps prevent the onset of heart diseases (one of the complications of diabetes) and boosts one’s immunity. 

What’s even better? It only costs P6.75 per capsule and available in all Generika Drugstore branches nationwide.  As one of Generika’s exclusive house brands, Nutrawell Ampalaya, Banaba & Luyang Dilaw is more affordable compared to similar supplements in the market. 

Diabetes can be avoided, prevented and managed but only if you ACT now.