For the parents of 22-year-old Cole Schmidtknecht, the pain of losing their son is compounded by a heartbreaking reality — they believe his death was entirely preventable.

Cole, a young man from Wisconsin with a bright future ahead of him, had lived with chronic asthma since he was an infant, according to The Kansas City Star. Despite his condition, he managed to lead a full life thanks to daily doses of Advair Diskus, a preventative inhaler.

For years, Cole’s medication was affordable and covered by his insurance. That all changed in January 2024, when a trip to Walgreens pharmacy delivered shocking news: his life-saving medication was no longer covered.

Cole visited his local Walgreens on January 10, 2024, to refill his prescription as he always had. But instead of paying his usual $66, he was told his insurance no longer covered Advair Diskus. The pharmacist allegedly told him there were no cheaper alternatives or generics available and failed to contact his doctor or insurance company to seek a solution

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Faced with this sudden and drastic increase in price, Cole was forced to pay $539 out of pocket for just one inhaler. With his limited income as a recent college graduate, this expense was simply unmanageable. Cole rationed his medication, trying to make it last as long as possible, but tragically, he passed away from an asthma attack just two weeks later.

The Schmidtknecht family is now pursuing legal action against both Walgreens and the manufacturer of Advair Diskus, claiming that they were negligent in failing to inform Cole of the price increase and explore more affordable options. They believe that if he had been made aware of the situation earlier, he could have sought assistance or found a different solution to continue his treatment.

This case sheds light on a larger issue surrounding the rising cost of prescription medications in the United States. Many patients are facing similar situations, where life-saving drugs become prohibitively expensive seemingly overnight. The impact of these price increases can be devastating, as seen in the tragic case of Cole Schmidtknecht.

As the legal battle unfolds, the Schmidtknecht family hopes to bring attention to the need for greater transparency and accountability in the pharmaceutical industry. No one should have to choose between their health and financial stability, especially when it comes to essential medications. The loss of Cole is a stark reminder of the real human cost of skyrocketing drug prices, and his story serves as a call to action for change.