Care for Your Skin…Without Getting Skinned Alive

Photo by Flickr – sunshinecity

When you think about skincare products, you might not consider them the most crucial medications.   But while some skincare medications are more cosmetic, many also treat conditions that are painful, unpleasant, or can have serious consequences. Unfortunately, prices for this class of medications have been rising rapidly, outpacing inflation and salaries, at a time when many Americans are facing out-of-pocket medication costs.

According to a new study by the American Medical Association’s JAMA Dermatology, between 2009 and 2015 many widely prescribed medications in this class increased in price by 200% or more. In fact, two of the drugs in this study, Targetin gel and Carac Cream, increased by nearly 1,700%! Even those medications with less spectacular increases such as Solaraze gel, Clobex Spray and Benzaclin increased between 146% and 325% during the same period.

Benzaclin, which is widely considered one of the best acne treatments, costs on average $503.85 at local U.S. pharmacies according to the JAMA study.   But that same medication can be purchased from a verified international online pharmacy for $71.76, a savings of 86%. A 4.25 oz bottle of Clobex Spray, which treats a form of severe psoriasis, was found to retail for an average of $958.01. At an online pharmacy you could find the same amount of that medication for $293.07, a 69% savings. And while the same study found Solaraze gel, which is used to treat actinic keratosis, a type of precancerous skin growth would costs $1,883.98 for those forced to pay out of pocket, that same medication could be purchased online for $170, or 91% less!

Whether treating acne, psoriasis or lesions, taking care of the largest and most visible organ in the human body should leave you comfortable in your skin, not feeling skinned alive.