Got a great tip on this evening’s news about prescription drug prices. Try GoodRx.com (or their mobile app) to compare prescription prices in your area. I’d never heard of the site, which apparently has been in business about a year, and immediately went there to check some of my drug prices. I could save only a dollar or two if I drove farther than my local supermarket’s pharmacy. Not enough to warrant the drive and inconvenience of going elsewhere, but it was reassuring to see I’m getting competitive prices.
Always check the prices on a new prescription. Try to get generics instead of brand names. And look to see if a different quantity would be cheaper (say, 90 instead of 30). One of my biggest savings, mentioned on the GoodRx page, is splitting pills where possible. With one of my prescriptions, I save 50% by buying double the strength I need and cutting them in half. You’ll need to check with your doctor before doing any of these things.
I couldn’t help noticing several of the drugs appeared to be ridiculously overpriced (double or triple the local average) at Walgreen’s. Glad I haven’t been shopping there! Check it out and let me know what you find. Is Walgreen’s overpriced in your area? Or is some other chain conspicuously out of line?
hey there – i’m the CEO of GoodRx – saw this post – just wanted to mention that prices really vary tremendously, especially for generic drugs, and what’s true for one drug isn’t typically the case for another (sometimes even different doses have wildly different prices at different pharmacies). I wish I could say “always go to Pharmacy X and you’ll save”, but the reality is that it varies by pharmacy and it changes often, so I’d recommend checking GoodRx to find the latest in terms of cash and discount prices and available coupons. Hope that helps!
Hi, Doug. Thanks for stopping by. Yes, I noticed the prices vary a lot depending on the pharmacy, the particular drug, the quantity, the dosage, available coupons and discounts, etc. I assume prices vary from region to region as well. It’s very helpful to have a site that gathers all these variables in one place.
Ironically, where I live there are some extraordinarily low prices for Walgreens…in fact, tomorrow, I’m planning to fill a prescription that’s about $75 at most other pharmacies, but only $25 at Walgreens. Go figure! Anyway, thanks for posting about this important topic.
Sounds a great site, PT!
I’m sure I’ll be consulting it anytime I get a new prescription.
I filled a prescription at Walgreens for $695 which cost $25 at Costco! I am mad and trying to figure out what I can do about this.
I’d ask them if they made a mistake at the register, but other than that I don’t know what recourse you have other than not shopping there in the future.
Typically, you can return to the pharmacy if it’s within a few days of your transaction and have them re-adjudicate the transaction – you keep the meds, but they basically re-run the transaction. If it hasn’t been too long, it’s worth a try?