Prescription Medications, Do You Shop Around?

[MIGrandma]

Do you check prices at several different pharmacies for your prescription medications, or do you just go to one store and have them all filled?

I've been on Metformin for a few years, and was used to paying $12 for a one month supply (I take it 3 times daily). The last time I picked it up the pill color and number stamped on it changed, so I questioned them to make sure it was the right pill. It was. They also charged me $68. I questioned that as well. Turns out they can no longer get the one I used to take, so had to change suppliers. But a $56 price difference? That seems like a lot to me, so I'm thinking about calling a few other pharmacies to see how much they charge. I hate to pay that much if I don't have to. My other medications are on Wal-Mart's $4/$10 list so I wouldn't change all my prescriptions, but if I can find the Metformin at a cheaper price I will change that one.

 

[mickeyplanner08]

I definitely shop around and am even so naughty as to fill scripts at more than one pharmacy (big no-no because they can't cross reference side effects and drug interactions), but I'm kinda cheap that way!

This site may help you some, but it doesn't have all pharmacies uploaded. It is a price comparison site for Michigan.

http://www.michigandrugprices.com/

Anyway, check the lists all around-they are slightly different from retailer to retailer, and even some of the small local pharmacies have programs with discounts, too!

Good luck!

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I do call around for something I'll be taking for a while, like BP meds. If it is a one time thing, I usually go to the one where I do get those meds.

 

[phillmolly]

Do you have a Meijer's near you? I get my metformin for free from Meijers and I take 2000 mg a day.

 

[booh]

I am in SC, but Publix gives them for free here. And Kroger has them on the $10 for 90 days list. Do you have either of them?

 

[Kellydelly]

I recently discovered that Proventil inhalers cost more than Ventolin inhalers and they are the same drug (albuterol) . I want to call my doctor and see if he will change my prescription for me but I bet he'll want an office visit to do that (I have 6 refills left). I also see there is quite a difference in price between the pharmacies and the retail stores with pharmacies in them. I think I will be avoiding Rite Aid in the future!

 

[nowellsl]

My insurance company (BCBS) has a feature on their website that allows you to compare prices of different pharmacies in your area. I get my blood pressure medicine by mail order because it's cheaper. It's a brand name so it costs a lot more. I have found that it does pay to shop around!

 

[starann]

I usually don't price meds as the local CVS by us is WONDERFUL (example, I have a newborn who due to issues with the HR person being on vacation was not added to my insurance, he was only a week old and needed a script that retails over $100, the pharmacist let me take it home and told me to come back once the insurance was fixed and they would run it thru then!).

BUT in having a newborn, we really need to watch our $$$ so I maystart price checking..esp at wegmans/walmart with the $4 generics.

 

[low-key]

No I just go to CVS, going to pay the same anyway with my Insurance

 

[aprilgail2]

Nope- copayment is the same no matter where you go-

 

[nowellsl]

No I just go to CVS, going to pay the same anyway with my Insurance

Even with my insurance the prices differ from store to store. I save almost $50 on my blood pressure meds getting them by mail order. My other 2 regular meds only cost $1.05 and .94 cents per month so I just pick them up at Publix while I'm buying groceries.

 

[aprilgail2]

Even with my insurance the prices differ from store to store. I save almost $50 on my blood pressure meds getting them by mail order. My other 2 regular meds only cost $1.05 and .94 cents per month so I just pick them up at Publix while I'm buying groceries.

you don't just havea set co-payment with your insurance? I pay like 10.00 a perscription unless it costs less than the copayment then I just pay whatever it is under 10.00

 

[nowellsl]

you don't just havea set co-payment with your insurance? I pay like 10.00 a perscription unless it costs less than the copayment then I just pay whatever it is under 10.00

No, I pay 20%, insurance pays 80%. Mail order is a straight $80 for name brand drugs for a 3 month supply and they charge me a $100 deductable per year. I wish I did only have a $10 copay!

 

[low-key]

Even with my insurance the prices differ from store to store. I save almost $50 on my blood pressure meds getting them by mail order. My other 2 regular meds only cost $1.05 and .94 cents per month so I just pick them up at Publix while I'm buying groceries.

I didn't know

 

[beaucoup]

I keep it all in one place. I like when the pharmacy mentions that this drug might interfere with another drug I'm taking......if the dr didn't catch that or the other one is from a different dr.

Glad to have someone looking out for me.

I stick with CVS, after trying a few others. they were very helpful recently in helping me with new Tricare insurance and trying to obtain months worth of drugs for DH because he was leaving the country for a year. Needed authorizations & red-tape, but they took care of it all with dr & insurance and called me when it was all set. We had enough going on getting him ready to leave, I was glad they did this for us.

 

[Mandychelle79]

I dont shop around for prices, I shop around to see who has the script in stock when I need it.

We pay 20 percent of what our insurance says is the agreed upon price for the med.

So if the med is 150 dollars, but the insurance says they will pay 100 for it, I pay 20 and they pay 80. After my deductible of course. Which is why DD's script for her clobetasol ( for alopecia) was almost 100 dollars.

 

[cabanafrau]

Costco is well-known for being the cheapest around. You don't have to have a membership to use their pharmacy either.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I do, around here Walmart's pharmacy is the cheapest supplier for our medicines and I only go with brands. Here & there I will go with a generic. I make my phone calls about once-twice a year to various local pharmacies to see who is the cheapest and whoever comes in lowest for the bulk of them wins my entire families business. So far Walmart has been the consistent leader. I only ran into trouble with Duoneb brand, which they flat out don't carry so I went to Walgreens for that, Walgreens is very good at accommodating off the beaten path medicines IMHO

 

[MIGrandma]

Thanks for the replies. If I had a straight co-pay I wouldn't shop around, but we pay 20% so it's in our best interest to find the place that has the best price. On meds that are under the Wal-Mart $4/month or $10/3 months plan I don't worry about it. But when one prescription jumps from $12 to $68, I think I want to make some phone calls. I may check on my Tricor too as through Wal-Mart I'm paying about $68 for that one as well each month.

 

[cluvsdisney]

For the most part, I don't shop around for prescriptions since we have a pretty good prescription plan. But my cat was put on an anti-seizure medication and the way the vet was explaining it to me led me to believe there could be a big price difference and there was. It would have been $95 to fill by my office but $43 to fill by where I live.