New research by Express Scripts shows that our nation is wasting $418 billion dollars annually on excess medication-related expenses. To our dismay, our home state of New York was near the top of the list of wasters, spending an extra $1,411 per resident due to our failure to purchase the lowest priced medicine, use the most cost effective pharmacy, and – worst of all – properly take medication.
Not surprisingly, one of the main problems identified by Express Scripts was failure to use a generic substitute for brand name medicine. However, not all brand name medicines have generic counterparts! Many New Yorkers (and people from other states, too) turn to online pharmacies to save. In fact, by ordering many brand medications from verified international online pharmacies, New Yorkers and all Americans could save well over $1,411 annually.
As examples, check out the savings on Advair Diskus, Abilify, and Crestor below. For prices on other brand name medications from verified online pharmacies, compare drug prices on PharmacyChecker.com.
Advair Diskus:
Advair Diskus is one of the most popular maintenance medications for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Savings on a three-month supply by ordering internationally online instead of a local pharmacy in New York City are $1,184. Over the course of a year, that’s $4,736!
Three-Month Supply of Advair Diskus (250-50mcg) Cost
|
Price |
Savings over Local Pharmacy |
Percent Savings |
|
| Local NY Pharmacy: | $2,214 | – | – |
| International Online Pharmacy | $330 | $1,184 | 81% |
Local pharmacy in New York City, International Online Pharmacy price as found on PharmacyChecker.com. Prices collected 10/24/2012
Abilify:
Abilify, used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder, major depressive disorder, and other conditions, costs just over $2,200 for a 90-day supply. When ordered from a verified international online pharmacy, the price drops to $330. That’s $1,870 for three months of medicine. Over the year that’s $7,480. That’s the amount of medication-related wasted spending for over 5 New Yorkers.
Three-Month Supply of Abilify (10 mg) Cost
|
Price |
Savings over Local Pharmacy |
Percent Savings |
|
| Local Pharmacy: | $2,214 | – | – |
| International Online Pharmacy | $330 | $1,184 | 81% |
Local pharmacy in New York City, International Online Pharmacy price as found on PharmacyChecker.com. Prices collected 10/24/2012
Crestor:
Spending on Crestor, a medication used to treat conditions including hyperlipidemia, mixed dyslipidemia, and hypertriglyceridemia, has increased by over 250% from 2007 to 2011, from $1.7 billion to $4.4 billion. So how big are the savings? For a three-month supply, you can save $580. Over the year, that’s $2,320.
Three-Month Supply of Crestor (10 mg) Cost
|
Program |
Price |
Savings over Local Pharmacy |
Percent savings |
| U.S. Local Pharmacy | $632.97 | — | — |
| International Online Pharmacy | $52.20 | $580.77 | 92% |
Local pharmacy in New York City, International Online Pharmacy price as found on PharmacyChecker.com. Prices collected 11/26/2012. International Online Pharmacy prices calculated from 84 pills.
Although it is true that people can save a substantial amount of money by ordering their medications from an international pharmacy, many of us are very skeptical about it. There have been articles and news reports of people receiving counterfeit drugs from these pharmacies. I could not risk my health or the health of my family members.
There are websites that have helped me to save money at my local pharmacy. One of the sites I use the most is medicationcoupons.com. They have free coupons for thousands of medications. They also offer a free discount drug card which I use every month. I just wanted to offer another option. Thanks for the great info on your site.
Fern Daily