# Non-members can use Costco pharmacy **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 30, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-members-can-use-costco-pharmacy/677509 "2013-12-30T21:03:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-members-can-use-costco-pharmacy/677509/1 "2013-12-30T21:03:29Z")
And get some of the lowest cost generic drugs in the US. This does not seem to be widely known, so I thought I’d share it. For an interesting report on the costs of generic drugs, read the transcript or watch this Newshour [segment](http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/july-dec13/costlygenrics_11-02.html). One example they used was a generic breast cancer med that varied from $10 at Costco to over $400 at a major chain pharmacy. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-members-can-use-costco-pharmacy/677509/2 "2013-12-30T22:30:03Z")
I am pretty sure non-members can also buy booze at Costco. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-members-can-use-costco-pharmacy/677509/3 "2013-12-31T00:56:01Z")
Yep booze and drugs at Sam’s as well. BTW Pet drugs too, very cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-members-can-use-costco-pharmacy/677509/4 "2013-12-31T01:19:41Z")
The nongenerics are pretty darn cheap too (I priced out Synvisc earlier this year at several places, and they were the cheapest). Same for the OTC drugs; my savings on loratadine (Claritin generic) alone more than pays for an annual executive membership. If you take any OTC drugs on a regular basis, run the numbers - you might be quite pleasantly surprised. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-members-can-use-costco-pharmacy/677509/5 "2013-12-31T17:00:49Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > The nongenerics are pretty darn cheap too (I priced out Synvisc earlier this year at several places, and they were the cheapest). Same for the OTC drugs; my savings on loratadine (Claritin generic) alone more than pays for an annual executive membership. If you take any OTC drugs on a regular basis, run the numbers - you might be quite pleasantly surprised. Sounds like you might be saying that non-members can also by OTC drugs but maybe you aren’t based on the “executive membership” reference. What’s the scoop? ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-members-can-use-costco-pharmacy/677509/6 "2013-12-31T17:33:26Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > Sounds like you might be saying that non-members can also by OTC drugs but maybe you aren’t based on the “executive membership” reference. > > What’s the scoop? No, I mean that if you take any OTC drugs regularly, a membership might be worth it for that alone. It would be for me.