Published: December 20, 2008 01:29 pm      

Shoppin’ around

Prices of prescriptions can vary

With the economy in flux, many people try to save money any way they can. And the loss of a job can often lead to the loss of health insurance, prompting prescription holders to consider the costs of their medications. What these consumers may not realize is that the price of a prescription varies according to the pharmacy filling it. A little comparison shopping can bring some significant savings.

Seven local pharmacies were contacted in an effort to discover what an uninsured consumer would pay for four random, common prescription medications. None of the 28 total prices reported by the pharmacies were equal in amount. One of the prescriptions varied in price by more than $39 depending on where it was filled.

The medications inquired about were a 250/50mcg Advair Diskus inhaler, used to treat asthma-related conditions; 0.5mg Alprazolam, the generic form of Xanax, used to reduce anxiety; 50mg Tramadol, the generic form of Ultram, a pain reliever; and 20mg Lexapro, an antidepressant.

The price of one 250/50mcg Advair Diskus inhaler, used to treat asthma-related conditions, at Keene Pharmacy is set at $201.10 while Kroger’s pharmacy sells the same inhaler for $240.79. At Wal-Mart Supercenter’s pharmacy, a 30-day supply of the pain reliever Tramadol is $4 but it sells for $28.50 at Cleburne Drug.

Some of the pharmacies can afford to sell generic forms of brand name medications at a fixed low price, such as Wal-Mart’s $4 prescription program. The program allows anyone to purchase drugs from a list of more than 300 generics at commonly prescribed dosages for $4 for a 30-day supply and $9 for a 90-day supply. A few women’s health and other covered generics under the program cost $9 and $24.

Kroger has a similar $4 program for generics. Although the cost of an Advair Diskus at Kroger was high compared with other pharmacy prices, Kroger sells Tramadol for $24.50, less than the identical dose and form sold at Cleburne Drug.

Many of the seven pharmacies carry prescription savings programs to help the uninsured, who tend to grow in number during economically tough times. According to the Texas State Data Center’s Web site, about 20 percent of Johnson County residents are without health insurance, more than 17 percent of them children.

Royce Cheyne, who owns Royce’s Pharmacy with his wife, Becky, said the time required to deal with doctors, who often prescribe the uninsured medications that are available for a much cheaper price either in generic form or another dosage, can prove costly to a pharmacy such as his.

“The pharmacies end up spending a horrendous amount of time changing prescriptions,” he said. “It eats up a lot of time, and you have to have more employees just to handle it.

“Some customers don’t understand that, and well, you wouldn’t either if you were a young mom, and you’re sitting in the drive-through, and the baby is in the back seat crying. You just want the medicine. That’s all you want, and you know, you don’t want to hear the pharmacist tell you you can’t have it.”

Cheyne estimates that about 10 percent of Royce’s customers are uninsured, and he encourages them to sign up for a prescription savings card. He said he is able to run price checks before filling prescriptions to determine what the cost will be.

Walgreens and CVS, both well-known pharmacies across the U.S., were two of the more expensive pharmacies for the uninsured of the seven local pharmacies contacted. Both also offer saving cards for the uninsured.

An uninsured consumer would pay more than $17 less for a 30 day supply of Lexapro, which has no generic form, and $29 less for the Advair Diskus, which also has no generic, with a Walgreens saving card. The card costs $20 per year for individuals and $35 for family and pets.

A CVS saving pass costs $10 per year

Donny McCoy, manager for Wal-Mart’s pharmacy in Cleburne, said the store’s prescription savings program is designed not to make money through pharmaceutical sales but to bring customers in so they will buy merchandise available in other sections of the store.

“There are certain medications we don’t make any money on,” he said.

Cheyne at Royce’s is aware of his competition.

“We do surveys to find out what other people charge, and I get as close to that as I can,” he said. “I know that I have these employees to pay and the rent to pay and the insurance to pay, so I need to be able to take in enough money for that each month.

“I have a discount card available that gets me into the ball park. I mean the prescription might be $6 instead of $4.”

Cheyne said he believes it is good for consumers to shop around for the best deal but said it is important to notify at least one health care provider of all the medications the consumer is taking.

Pharmacies do not share databases, he said, and are unable to prevent dangerous drug interactions that could occur when someone fills two prescriptions at two separate pharmacies.

Because the cost of buying prescription medications without insurance varies from pharmacy to pharmacy and drug to drug, consumers can save a great deal of money by checking the prices of their medications at local pharmacies before having them filled.