MORGAN HILL, California – As of today The diagnosis of Bell’s palsy in Desiree Bercilla’s partner in May brought an abrupt change to the trajectory of her life. She was taken aback once again when she called her neighborhood pharmacy and discovered that the antiviral medication Valtrex, which he required, would set her back close to $600.
- That was the cost of the version with the recognizable brand name, but even the generic version cost more than $200.
- Bercilla didn’t stop calling around until the warehouse chain Costco gave her a price for the generic that was less than $39; after that, she was satisfied.
- “My first response was one of complete disbelief,” Bercilla added.
“Because I can’t believe that in order for me to obtain the greatest price from the pharmacy, I need to shop around.” “Because I can’t believe it.” When NBC News asked Bercilla, who is 37 years old and has a daughter who is 3 years old, to check the cash price — the amount paid by someone who is not using insurance — of Valtrex in her area again last month, she got similar results.
The cash price is the amount paid by someone who is not using insurance. When it came to the brand-name prescription, prices ranged anywhere from an all-time high of $596 at Walmart to an all-time low of $473 at Costco. When it came to the generic, Walgreens had the highest price, which was over 242 dollars, while Costco had the lowest price, which was just under 39 dollars.
The contrast that Bercilla experienced, according to the experts, is not a coincidence. Even within the same geographic area, Consumer Reports’ editor for prescription drugs, Lisa Gill, told NBC News that pricing might vary drastically from one drugstore to the next.
- Gill stated that it may be as much as ten times larger.
- Desiree Bercilla searches for the lowest price on a prescription medication by contacting many local pharmacies.
- NBC News [NBC] A recent poll conducted by Consumer Reports among 1,200 adults who now use prescription medication revealed that 22 percent of respondents, which would equate to around 27 million people living in the United States, witnessed a price jump for at least one pill.
The price increase resulted in at least $50 in additional expenses for one third of those consumers each and every month. Because of this, customers may greatly benefit from doing comparison shopping, even though many of them are unaware of the amount of money they can save.
“When we look at retail prices across the country, we see — for the same drug, for the same dose, for the same quantity, and everything else being the same — incredible price differences even within the same zip code,” said Gill. “When we look at wholesale prices across the country, we see — for the same drug, for the same dose, for the same quantity, and everything being Different cash pricing for generic Cymbalta may be seen in the following image from Consumer Reports, which covers the Dallas region.
The following advice was published in the December 2017 issue of Consumer Reports: “To Get the Lowest Price, Shop Around.” Consumer Reports conducted a secret-shopper investigation in which they called pharmacies in six of the most populous metropolitan areas in the United States in order to collect prices for common medications.
- These medications included generic versions of Actos, which is used to treat diabetes, Celebrex, which is used to treat pain, Cymbalta, which is used to treat depression, Lipitor, which is used to treat high cholesterol, and the blood thinner Plavix.
- To read the whole article from Consumer Reports, click here.
One illustration of the significant variations in prices is as follows: A month’s supply of generic Cymbalta was quoted at $220 at Walgreens in Dallas, $174 at a supermarket pharmacy, $40 at Costco, and $23 at an independent drugstore by the hidden shoppers working for Consumer Reports.
According to the findings of a poll conducted by Consumer Reports, brick-and-mortar retailer Costco had the greatest rates, while the online mail-order pharmacy Healthwarehouse.com had the lowest total cost. According to the findings of the investigation, CVS Health and Kmart are the two national shops that charge the highest prices for the various over-the-counter drugs that were researched.
The prices at independent pharmacies were all over the place; sometimes they were the most affordable alternative, and other times they were the most costly one. Desiree Bercilla had a conversation with a pharmacist from Costco. NBC News [NBC] Two different drugstore chains have taken issue with the findings of Consumer Reports, arguing that a significant number of cash-paying customers are able to lower their out-of-pocket expenses by participating in discount programs or by using manufacturer coupons.
In addition to this, they saw that the vast majority of their clients paid with insurance. CVS Health noted that its costs for both types of Valtrex were cheaper than the prices at two retail competitors. The company stated that it “makes every effort to ensure our retail prices for prescription medications remain competitive in the marketplace.” There may be price differences for some medications when purchasing them from a retail pharmacy like CVS Pharmacy and from other types of retail businesses that operate pharmacies.
This is because different retail businesses use different types of business models and incur different costs to run their operations. Because Kmart “discontinued a membership-based discounts program in favor of daily low prices” earlier this year, the company stated that the poll findings do not accurately reflect current pricing.
- Kmart said this was the reason why the survey results were inaccurate.
- (The reaction from Consumer Reports may be found in the article published by Consumer Reports.) “In addition, for the tiny fraction of members who do not have insurance, our pharmacists try to assist them identify applicable discounts, coupons, and promotions,” Kmart added.
“[T]hese individuals can take advantage of these services.” According to Walgreens, more than 97 percent of the medications that the pharmacy fills are paid for by insurance or through a savings program. “Always make sure to inquire about the lowest potential price in the event that you do not utilize your insurance.
It is possible that the fact that it is more affordable will come as a pleasant surprise to you.” According to a statement released by Walgreens, “Prices are decided by a number of criteria including the manufacturer’s pricing, the cost of doing business at that location (such as leasing expenses and taxes), and other operational factors.” According to Costco’s statement, the retailer sets its pricing “as low as we possibly can while yet making a little profit.” According to Consumer Reports, going to a warehouse chain to do your shopping is a more basic experience than going to a retail pharmacy, which may be open around the clock and provide various types of amenities.
Walmart stated in a statement that it regularly analyzes the pricing of medications “to ensure that we are delivering on this goal.” The statement was sent to NBC News. Walmart is committed to offering its customers the lowest prices possible. When NBC News inquired about Walmart’s pricing for Valtrex, the retailer responded by lowering the price to $496, which was $100 less than what Bercilla had been told it would be.
- Lisa Gill and her colleagues share the results of their survey about the cost of prescriptions.
- NBC News [NBC] Even though the cash costs that were offered to Bercilla and Consumer Reports indicate the expense to the consumer who does not have insurance, consumers who do have insurance may still find it beneficial to shop around for better deals.
A consumer who has an insurance plan with a high deductible should go about and compare costs to verify that the out-of-pocket price they pay before they reach the threshold is the best one that is offered in their region. According to research conducted by Consumer Reports’ undercover shoppers, a pharmacy’s lowest cash price may be lower than a patient’s insurance co-pay.
According to Gill’s advice, you should always inquire, “What is your lowest feasible price if I do not utilize my insurance?” It is possible that you may be pleasantly pleased to find out that the price is lower. Inequalities in the cost of pharmaceuticals are detrimental not just to consumers’ financial well-being but also to their physical well-being.
Nearly twenty percent of people who participated in the poll told Consumer Reports that they just leave the drugstore if they are confronted with a greater price than they were expecting. Gill stated that “they won’t fill a prescription” regarding the company.
- “It’s possible that they’ll swap drugs.
- It’s possible that they’ll break tablets even if they’re not meant to.
- They engage in a variety of risky behaviors.” They may also be unaware that there is another option available to them.
- Consumers frequently believe that the pricing at their local pharmacy is the best available or very near.
A cousin advised Bercilla, who had always shopped only at Walmart due to the company’s low stated costs, to broaden her shopping options. “Do your homework,” was the advice she gave. “Because the initial price could not end up being the only price.” Anne Thompson from NBC News and Lisa Gill from Consumer Reports discuss a variety of topics. 
Why are CVS prices so high?
6. They Do Not Specialize – With the exception of medical supplies, CVS does not concentrate on any one particular line of products. Customers may get anything from hair clips and lipstick to several types of potato chips and brands of aspirin at the store.
- However, CVS does not prioritize a single category of products over the others in the same way that other retailers do.
- It’s possible that a firm won’t have the bargaining power to acquire particularly excellent bargains on things from their suppliers if they don’t concentrate in any one particular area in their retail outlets.
This happens when a company doesn’t focus on a single niche. For instance, Home Depot is an industry leader in home renovation and is frequently in a position to negotiate price reductions for the products it procures on a consistent basis. Larger merchants typically have significantly more floor space available and are able to make large purchases.
How does GoodRx work at Walgreens?
Current Prices and Discounts Offered at Walgreens Pharmacies You may save as much as 80 percent on the cost of your medicines by using GoodRx to research the costs of your medications and to locate coupons offering discounts. Simply search for the drug you need, and not only will we show you the price at each of the local pharmacies, but we will also provide you with free coupons to help you save money.
What is Walmart dispensing fee?
Dispensing costs in Nova Scotia – As a general guideline, take into consideration the average cost of the following large retail pharmacies’ dispensing fees:
- Costco – $4.49
- Walmart – $8.47
- Superstore – $10.99
- Lawtons cost $12.39 each.
- Pharmachoice is available for $12.39.
- Pharmasave – $12.39
- Shoppers Drug Mart – $12.39
As a point of reference, we would also like to emphasize our dispensing costs, which are as follows: Patients who choose to order their prescriptions through the Mednow app or web app are eligible for the Mednow Drug Plan, which will cover up to $3.40 of their co-pay for each prescription they fill.