I'm prescribed Modafinil and not covered by any government price cap. Prescription from a domestic pharmacy runs at $275 USD/mth... I get the prescription, fill out some paperwork and import from India a 3mths supply for $310 USD.
Most medications though are capped at I think it converts roughly to $16usd here. If you have a concession card (Disabled/old) its like $3.50 usd.
So I have sleep apnea, and probably some ADD. I found a "cash only" psychiatrist who prescribed Adderall.
It changed my life. I was *awake* during the day for the first time in many years.
Then the shortage hit. I wasn't able to get it for month after month, and I lost all the ground I had gained.
So I did what you should always do when it comes to your healthcare, take control.
I found Modafinil might work as a substitute.
He wrote a prescription, I went to fill it, insurance wouldn't cover, $900 for one month! So I went without, and man did my life suffer: back to being a zombie all day swigging gallons of coffee.
Long story short, a year later while traveling I found it over the counter, tried it, and it was just what I needed.
What the pharmacy never told me when I abandoned the prescription was that GoodRx (which is free if you're unfamiliar) would've dropped it to $56 for 90 pills!
That said I prefer ModAlert 200, which is only $212 for 500 (!) from an otherwise overpriced India pharma, making it only $38 for 90, and no hassles from the docs who treat this non-addictive med like it's oxycontin.
I also love the foil 10 packs tabs come in from India. Perfect for storage and travel.