Comparison Shopping For Prescription Drugs

Studies have shown that as many as one in five older patients with chronic health problems are cutting back on their medications simply because they cost too much.

Despite the costs, too many people get into the routine of going to the same, often closest pharmacy every month to have prescriptions filled. But driving a mile or two down the road could save hundreds of dollars a month. That's because the price of drugs varies according to pharmacy, and in some cases, the variance is significant.

Here are the results of the pharmacy comparison:

	Walgreens	Costco	Target
Levoxyl, 50 mg	$41.95	$35.13	$14.00
Lisinopril, 30 mg	$81.95	$22.64	$44.49
Atacand, 32 mg	$279.95	$235.12	$255.49
Sular, 10 mg	$196.95	$194.93	$209.49
Toprolxl, 50 mg	$94.95	$63.53	$81.99
Nortriptylin, 10 mg	$27.95	$10.00	$14.00
Warfarin, 3mg	$58.95	$32.51	$51.49
Total	$782.65	$593.86	$670.95

*Pricing is per 100 tablets.
*Note: your health insurance plan, Medicaid, Medicare or Medigap may pay for some or all prescription drugs costs. Check with your provider for coverage information.

 

Prices varied by as much as 35% -- even with gas prices factored in, it's well worth the drive to take advantage of the extra savings.

Because pharmacies compete with each other, they often run special promotions that can save consumers even more.

For example:
Target and Wal-Mart both have $4 generic prescription programs in all U.S. pharmacies. Each store offers over 300 different drugs for $4 per prescription fill or refill, up to a 30-day supply.

View a printable list of all qualifying drugs at Target
View a printable list of all qualifying drugs at Wal-Mart

here are a lot of new drugs out there to keep patients healthy, but more than half of patients don't tell their physician or nurse when they stop taking a medication. They're not only risking their health, but they're also missing out on real opportunities to get help finding cheaper medications or programs that can assist them with medication costs.

Doing your homework and working with your physician to manage prescription medication costs can result in substantial savings -- and could mean the difference between whether or not a patient gets needed medications. It's also important to weigh the benefits of having one pharmacist manage all the medications a person takes versus driving to different pharmacies to avoid potentially dangerous drug interactions.

Resources
State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs
21 states and one territory offering help pay drug costs. Find out if your State has a program.

RX Assist
RxAssist offers a comprehensive database of patient assistance programs, as well as news and articles.

RX Hope
Research government and corporate sponsored patient assistance programs for over 1000 medications.


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