I could KICK myself: Prescription costs

[NYCDiane]

Since last year, I've been taking various meds for my medical issues. Every time I go to the drug store, it's a $15 or $30 co-pay for each med for a one month supply.

Well, the other day, I took special notice of a sign that's been hanging at my grocery store for what seems like forever. I've always seen it but just never bothered to stop and actually read it.

It turns out, I can get my first prescription (30 days) of diabetes meds free. Thereafter, it would only be $3.99 for a 30 day supply or $9.99 for a 90 day supply. Same goes for all my other meds (they're all on the list). The other ones you can't get free but they're still only $3.99 each for 30 days or $9.99 for 90 days.

I brought in the prescription today for my diabetes meds and she filled it free and then we discussed the others. She told me to just bring in the prescriptions and I'll be all set.

So, for the past year, I've literally been throwing money away on meds that I could have been getting for a much, much lower price. I could KICK myself, that's how aggravated I am in myself right now!

Oh, and this is with or without insurance!!!!!!!!

I'm wondering --- how can the big-name drug stores charge so much and a grocery store pharmacy not even bother with the insurance and only charge a fraction????? Don't get me wrong, I'm totally happy over this, but just wondering how this works.

 

[chalee94]

i've heard of similar deals at walmart and costco for generics.

i'm surprised you were charged the copay amount if the actual price should have been less...but maybe that's the policy at your drug store...

 

[dawson5]

Yep. We did this maybe twice at Walgreens. I asked them if they would match our local supermarket pharmacy deal and they would not. We haven't gone back. Meijers (chain) will, Sam's does also. If you have the advantage plus, I think you 8% off also, making it even cheaper.

 

[ceecee]

So they were charging you extra because you didn't ask??? Or did you switch to generics?

 

[NYCDiane]

So they were charging you extra because you didn't ask??? Or did you switch to generics?

When I went to the drug store, I would always ask what is the price without the insurance or with (since, believe it or not, it's sometimes cheaper without the insurance).

The grocery store charges $3.99 (30 days) $9.99 (90 days) with or without insurance. The co-pays I was paying at the drug store $15/$30 were for 30 days only. Oh, and all the stuff I use is generic.

 

[debknight]

I don't get it. If the price is $3.99/$9.99 with or without insurance -- why were you paying the $15/$30 co-pay?


Oh! It was two different stores!

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

At least you finally found out, better now than never!

As soon as I get a prescription, I check the $4 ($10 for 90 day) lists at Target and Walmart. I have been filling a few prescriptions at Target and with my Red Card I get an extra 5% off shopping pass after 5 prescriptions. I was recently put on a Rx for my blood pressure and was psyched that it is only costing me $10 every 3 months!

Here are the Target and Walmart lists I mentioned:

Target list
http://sites.target.com/site/en/health/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-040590

Walmart list
http://www.walmart.com/cp/PI-4-Prescriptions/1078664

 

[IMALOVNDISNEY]

We did the same thing at Walmart. Before that we got 4 monthly rx's at the local drug store @ a $40.00 co-pay per script. That was a total of $160.00 per month Because that is what the insurance company dictated. Or so at least that's what the drug store hid behind. We switched to Walmart and then paid $16.00 per month for the same meds. Or $10.00 for 3 months supply of each. = $40.00 for all 4. A huge savings

 

[ZehnJahren]

Don't feel too bad - I was all full of myself for getting a good coupon for a prescription I have. It was $90 off the first refill, $60 off the second, and $30 off the third. Each prescription lasts three months, so I thought "wow, great! Really saving money!!" I filled the first time and it was $70 bucks; the second time was $100; and this last time they couldn't find the coupon, so I thought "alright, I knew I had to start paying full price some time."

Turns out, because I was using the coupon my insurance didn't kick in. I ended up getting the prescription for $60 once I stopped using the coupon!!!

 

[scrapquitler]

I don't get it. If the price is $3.99/$9.99 with or without insurance -- why were you paying the $15/$30 co-pay?


Oh! It was two different stores!

Some of them are like the grocery store sale card - you have to 'sign up' for it to get the special price.

 

[ajh88]

I'm wondering --- how can the big-name drug stores charge so much and a grocery store pharmacy not even bother with the insurance and only charge a fraction????? Don't get me wrong, I'm totally happy over this, but just wondering how this works.

Glad you were able to save money!

Just thought I would comment on your last question. There are a few different ways it works. One of the most simple explanations is that "drug" stores simply CAN charge more. They are what a wide variety of people are used to using for prescriptions and hence the people don't know any better (or different). Some of them have started being more competitive, but others continue to charge what they can simply because they CAN. I swear to you that when I worked at a Wal-Mart in metro St. Louis (about 5 years ago), we constantly had people who said they didn't even know Wal-Mart had a pharmacy. Even my in-laws have been using a chain drugstore for years and only recently discovered the $4 plan at their grocery store - even though I've literally been talking to them about it for YEARS.

Another way is that the stores put commonly used, very cheap drugs on their $4 lists (or equivalent program) and hope that people will use their pharmacy for their other, more expensive medications as well. I'm not sure how well this works in reality, but it is a thought. Some of those medications are seriously like a penny a pill...but the actual cost of dispensing goes up when you start counting the labor to enter it, fill it, check it, and ring it out. I'd venture that at $4, the stores are breaking even at best on some of those meds - that's why it is really better for the store to do a 90 day supply at a time. It only takes slightly more time to count out 90 days worth of pills, but the entering, checking, and ringing out don't take any longer.

Finally, there is always the buying power of chains. Large retail pharmacy chains (or those connected with other stores, such as big box stores or grocery stores) have contracts that are negotiated with the wholesalers and that offer them a much better price (usually) than what a smaller store might be able to get, if for no other reason than sheer volume. Of course, if you were talking about another chain pharmacy, this argument is moot because they probably have the same (or better) buying power than your grocery store pharmacy.

I always encourage people to check around...you would be surprised at how much "cash" prices (what you pay if you don't bill an insurance) vary (but FWIW, most pharmacies will NOT price match).

 

[starry_solo]

Unfortunately, most of those prices for Target and Wal*Mart are higher in CA Usually, I get them filled at Costco or Sam's

 

[SandrA9810]

Don't forget with Target, if you fill a new prescription with them, they usually give you a ten dollar gift card.

Occasionally my aunt or grandmother will need a generic for one reason or another. Spend $4 and get a $10 gift card.

I thought almost all pharmacies used the $4 generics ($10 for 90 days).