A recent New York Times article highlights the dramatically rising prices of prescription skin care products in the United States. When it comes to skin care, popular generic creams, ointments, and lotions are getting far more expensive – take a look at the chart below:
60-gram tube
30-gram tube
45-gram tube
118-mil. bottle
Permethrin
cream
Triamcinolone
acetonide
cream
Betamethasone
dipropionate
cream
Desonide
lotion
DRUG
$71
$29
$8
$4
$71
$18
$216
$50
Current
price
’08
price
Source: The New York Times; Truven Health Analytics Red Book
As prices climb domestically, they remain stable and comparatively low abroad. While most generic medicines are often cheaper in the U.S. than in other countries, some popular skin care products are exceptions. Examples are shown below:
| Drug | U.S. Bricks-and-Mortar Pharmacy | U.S. Online Pharmacy Price | Lowest PharmacyChecker.com Listed Price | Savings | Percent Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betamethasone Diproprionate Cream (45g) | $96.87 | $60.00 | $30.23 (50g) | $29.77 | 49.62% |
| Desonide Lotion (118ml) | $195.99 | $158.00 | $70.81 | $87.19 | 55.18% |
| Fluorouracil Cream 5% (40g) | $250.00 | $248.00 | $37.99 | $210.01 | 84.68% |
| Nystatin and Triamcinolone Cream (30g) | $67.98 | $93.00 | $16.27 | $76.73 | 82.51% |
| Permethrin Cream 5% (60g) | $64.99 | $63.00 | $28.24 | $34.76 | 55.17% |
Bricks and Mortar Pharmacy Located in New York City. U.S. Online Pharmacy Price taken from Healthwarehouse.com. Prices collected 8/15/2012
We found that the average savings by using an international online pharmacy were over 70% when compared to U.S.-based bricks-and-mortar and online pharmacies. If you decide to order from abroad, make sure the online pharmacy is PharmacyChecker.com approved by looking for the PharmacyChecker.com seal.
No wonder we need socialized medicine in this country. Imagine the obscene profits the pharmaceutical companies are making from a small tube of skin gel.