What you pay at the pharmacy for generic drugs can vary
widely supported where you live, consistent with a replacement analysis by the buyer
website GoodRx.
The study, which checked out 500 commonly used drugs in 30
American cities highlight just how unpredictable drug prices are often.
the value of
common drugs just like the generic version of the cholesterol drug Zocor, or the diabetes drug
metformin, differ significantly from coast to coast.
GoodRx checked out the typical spot price of the drug at a
pharmacy — something, not every consumer will need to pay.
most people have
coverage for his or her prescriptions and consumers can often cash in of discount
programs.
But a growing number of individuals are being asked to buy a
greater share, sometimes with a deductible.
Some disparities obviously result from a better cost of
living — NY, and San Francisco was the foremost expensive cities within the
country for drugs.
But prices can vary widely even between similar cities within the same state:
Cleveland’s pharmacy prices were 2.5 percent above the national average, while shortly away,
Columbus had prices that were nearly 22 percent below average.
In Cleveland, the
generic version of Paxil, the antidepressant, costs about $46.94, while in Columbus,
someone would pay $20.87.
Thomas Goetz, the chief of research at GoodRx, said many
factors are likely playing the role, just like the prevalence in some areas of big-box
stores like Walmart and Costco, which sell generic drugs at cheap prices.
But that can’t entirely explain what’s happening. Much can
still, be chalked up to the “drug prices make no sense” theory, he said.
drug manufacturers
often charge different prices for versions of an equivalent drug, and
pharmacies can then price the drug in a sort of way.
“It’s another indication of how nonsensical drug prices are
often, and the way important it's to be vigilant about what you're being asked to pay,” he
said.
Leigh Purvis, director of health services research at the
AARP’s public policy institute said the price variation isn’t just city by city — even
pharmacies on an equivalent block can sell drugs at vastly different prices.
Some states, like NY and
Florida, offer their own comparison sites so consumers can go searching for drugs.
If consumers do go searching, she advised keeping in-tuned
with one doctor or the pharmacist who knows all of the drugs that are prescribed.
“You don’t want to possess an adverse reaction or interaction because there's nobody
keeping an eye fixed on the large picture,” she said.
Here may be a list of 5 commonly used drugs, and what the
typical cash prices are at pharmacies in five major cities.
Metformin
Used to treat diabetes
Birmingham — $43.00
Boston — $28.57
Columbus — $11.16
New York — $66.23
San Francisco —
$49.36
Tamiflu
Used to treat influenza
Birmingham — $197.48
Boston — $185.46
Columbus — $189.61
New York — $155.46
San Francisco —
$201.61
Baclofen
Muscle relaxant
Birmingham — $217.34
Boston — $170.61
Columbus — $124.53
New York — $301.46
San Francisco —
$263.83
Paroxetine
Generic for Paxil, wont to treat depression
Birmingham — $50.53
Boston — $47.34
Columbus — $20.87
New York — $73.55
San Francisco —
$53.78
Ondansetron
Generic for Zofran, used for nausea
Birmingham — $356.67
Boston — $169.71
Columbus — $132.86
New York — $578.12
San Francisco —
$368.71
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