Prescription Drugs......MUST READ!!!

[chasd60]

I received this info from an Uncle that is a disabled vet in his 60's and takes a few meds. I have not verified the sources but I have verified the truth in the pricing.

Since the cost of prescription drugs is so outrageous, I thought everyone I knew should know about this. Please read the following and pass it on.

It pays to shop around. This helps to solve the mystery as to why they can afford to put a Walgreens on every corner. Steve Wilson, an investigative reporter for Channel 7 News in Detroit, did a story on generic drug price gouging by pharmacies. He found in his investigation, that some of these generic drugs were marked up as much as 3,000% or more.
Yes, that's not a typo.....three thousand percent! So often, we blame the drug companies for the high cost of drugs, and usually rightfully so. But in this case, the fault clearly lies with the pharmacies themselves.. For example, if you had to buy a prescription drug, and bought the name brand, you might pay $100 for 100 pills. The pharmacist might tell you that if you get the generic equivalent, they would only cost $80, making you think you are "saving" $20. What the pharmacist is not telling you is that those 100 generic pills may have only cost him $10!

 At the end of the report, one of the anchors asked Mr Wilson whether or not there were any pharmacies that did not adhere to this practice, and he said that Costco consistently charged little over their cost for the generic drugs. I went to the Costco site, where you can look up any drug, and get its online price. It says that the in-store prices are consistent with the online prices.

My checks and prices,
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I take Lisinopril and HCTZ for high blood pressure, price at
Rite-Aid for Lisinopril QTY: 30 Strength: 40mg tablets is $30.99
HCTZ at Rite-Aid is QTY: 15 Strength 25mg is $9.99 (I have to split these in half)
 
Costco does not list Lisinopril by itself but in combination with HCTZ instead of taking two tablets.
Costco price is
Lisinopril/HCTZ QTY: 30 Strength 20mg/12.5mg  is  $9.89. I would need double that number to get my 40mg of Lisinopril but as you can see there is quite a difference. The higher quantity price for this is 100 for  $24.59 but remember this would be 1 1/2 times what I now get for $40.98. I could get a quote on the exact pills I need but this should show you it is quite a savings.
 
I priced Bupropion at Rite-Aid (Generic Wellbutrin SR)
RIte-Aid QTY: 60 Strength: 150mg Price: $118.99
Costco  QTY: 100 Strength 100mg Price: $35.09
 
 
http://www.costco.com/Pharmacy/FrameMaster.asp?cat=678

[tlhdoc]

Thanks for the information.  I always check Costco online to see how much drugs should cost.

[jpreiser]

I work in a pharmacy. so yes it does happen... Our guy is pretty good and if you dont have insurance he will usually give it to you at cost....

the best thing is we also make meds for the local vet....


I had to get a medication for my cat from the vet... when I got it $80.00 for a very small bottle. I realized "we" had made the drug up the week before. sure enough I check at work he had only paid about $12.00 for a large bottle !! but then made smaller bottles and sold them for much more... I now ask for a perscription and bring it to my people pharmacy  if it can .  Things like predisone and amoxicillin  and cheap at the pharmacy compared to the vets!!

[ForestCreature]

For those who don't know, you do not have to be a member of Costco
 to use their Pharmacy or to buy Liquor. These are both government regulated which makes it available to all.
 
 Another savings for scripts is to look into a 90 day supply (generic drugs) and not use your insurance depending on the drug. I found it cheaper to get 90 days without using the BCBS on 2 of DHs meds. Our co pay worked out to be more than using cash without the card by close to half  (our Costco Pharmacist clued us in to this)!
 
 90 days on one was 16.11,17.29 on the other, using the insurance card they would have had to charge me 3 mos worth of the co pay per.