About every six months or so I get strep throat. The last couple times, I’ve gotten my prescription for anti-biotics filled at Target’s pharmacy and paid $12.00 for 'em. Out of convenience, I had the Rx sent over to the Walgreen’s by my house and it was $20.00 this time. I’ve not changed my prescription service over the last couple years (Express Scripts) but it’s possible that they could have changed their rates. This is the only drug I ever take so I have nothing else to compare it to as well.
So my question would be, do different stores in the USA charge different prices for the exact same prescription?
Stores can charge different amounts, but, assuming both pharamacies are part of your prescription plan and you have a fixed co-pay, your out-of-pocket price should be the same.
One of three things happened:
A) Walgreen’s doesn’t participate in your insurance plan and the full retail cost of the prescription was $20.
B) Your co-pay is a percentage of the retail cost and Walgreen’s retail price is considerably higher than Target’s.
C) Your co-pay went up and is now $20 instead of $12.
I spend a couple hundred bucks each month on prescriptions, and have no health insurance. I can go to six pharmacies, and get six different prices for each. I get two of my drugs from Canada, which I guess makes me a hardened criminal.
I’m amazed when I hear people whine about their co-pay.
Everytime I’ve done name brands (Zithromax). My co-pay with Express Scripts hasn’t changed according to the letter I got from them with the card for the new year (it’s a percentage of the drug costs and not a flat co-pay).
It looks like panache45 has some first hand experience that the exact same drug could be different prices at different pharmacies.
According to more than one pharmacist that I’ve spoken with, all pharmacies compete on prescription prices. The prices they set will be determined by their local market/polices/economic conditions. Even major chains like Walgreens may have different prices at different locations for the exact same prescription if local conditions warrant. That’s why it definitely pays to call around if you don’t have insurance or if you have a plan that pays a percentage instead of a flat co-pay. Last time I did this, I got prices that ranged from $160 - $211 per month for my scripts. Walgreens and Target were the most expensive. The little independent guy was the cheapest.
It is a complicated situation really. I think it is possible that either a.) like mentioned above, your copay amounts have increased, or b.) Your insurance plan shifted the tier the drug falls under into non-formulary- meaning they prefer you to use a different drug. c.) is also an option, which is that your doctor has prescribed a different antibiotic than before. If c.) holds true, then it could be you were on amoxicillin or cephelexin, which are generics, generally tier I or just under generic copay amounts- depending on your insurance. This time the doctor might have prescribed something that does not have a generic avalible, such as a Z-pak. The copays would be different because of the different tiers.
Now, to complicate things even further, some pharmacies work with the patient and the copays. If the pharmacy sees that your copay for amoxicillin is 20 dollars, and sees that their cost is only 6.99, they may not run your prescription through your insurance and cut the cost back and take a bit of a profit cut to save you some money, say 12.99. The pharmacy in which I work does this often, only getting a few dollars profit on a particular prescription because we know the customer or just to be nice to a pleasant customer. I don’t know how often other pharmacies do this, but I hear it is rather common.
Our co-pays have gone through the roof! And, fewer and fewer drugs are being covered at the regular rate (many drugs are being deemed such-and-such so, the copay is higher!) I believe we’re gonna see more and more of this as the Drug Industry rushes drugs to market and places equal pressure on the FDA for approval.
I know someone who worked in cancer research for a major phamaceutical company. Taking the military approach, many companies the business believed answers can be found if we just through enough people (and $$$) at the problem…promising stock holders major results in a short time.
When the reality of research hit these senseless bean counters, lay-offs were wide spread in pharmaceuticals (circa mid-to-late 1990s). I think Vioxx and such are similar drugs where the mighty dollar outruled sound research procedures.
And, we don’t trust Canadian drugs? Sheesh! :rolleyes:
In shrt, higher prices at your drug store will help these giants recoop their losses.
(From above) Our co-pays have gone through the roof! And, fewer and fewer drugs are being covered at the regular rate (many drugs are being deemed such-and-such so, the copay is higher!) I believe we’re gonna see more and more of this as the Drug Industry rushes drugs to market and places equal pressure on the FDA for approval.
I know someone who worked in cancer research for a major phamaceutical company. Taking the military approach, many companies the business believed answers can be found if we just through enough people (and $$$) at the problem…promising stock holders major results in a short time.
When the reality of research hit these senseless bean counters, lay-offs were wide spread in pharmaceuticals (circa mid-to-late 1990s). I think Vioxx and such are similar drugs where the mighty dollar outruled sound research procedures.
And, we don’t trust Canadian drugs? Sheesh! :rolleyes:
In shrt, higher prices at your drug store will help these giants recoop their losses.
Jinx: You’ve been here for 5 years, and still don’t know that you can’t edit posts?
stpauler: Panache45’s experience is not similar to yours – you have insurance, he/she doesn’t. OBVIOUSLY stores can charge different prices for the same item, and I can’t imagine why drugs would be an exception. The real puzzle here is why you’re paying different prices under a prescription benefit plan – under such a plan, the amount the store charges should be completely irrelevant to you. Is this $12 vs. $20 out of your pocket? Or is this the amount billed to your insurance?
No matter what pharmacy you go to, (assuming the one doing the prescription accepts your insurance) you will be charged to same exact copay. You can go to a pharmacy in the state of Washington or across continent to Florida and you be charged the same price thru your insurance. Prescription plans thru employers change on average every 2 years. I’m guessing you had your prescription filled sometime in 2004 and then had it refilled in 2005 after the changes went into effect according to your fiscal year. Its pretty much out of the hands of the pharmacy since all they do is bill the pharmacy benefit manger via network then the PBM instantly shows the pharmacy the accepted claim and what to charge you. The cost of your prescription is never decided on by anyone in the pharmacy.