by PharmacyChecker.com | Jul 28, 2010 | Drug Prices
In an earlier post we discussed that online drug prices in other counties are falling. This past week an article in Reuters shows current measures by EU governments will bring down prices further in order address tight government budgets.
While this may be good news for Europeans and Americans who take advantage of lower overseas prices by using the safe and low-cost pharmacies approved in the PharmacyChecker.com Verification Program, we hope the decreases abroad won’t lead to further drug price increases here at home by pharmaceutical companies seeking to make up for the short fall in the EU market.
Tagged with: Drug Importation, Europe, Reuters, save money
by Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com and Margaret Rode, PharmacyChecker.com | Jun 10, 2010 | Drug Prices
“Free drug program” is the phrase often used to describe Prescription Assistance Programs, or PAPs—programs run by pharmaceutical companies that help qualifying American consumers acquire prescription medication. Sometimes PAPs cover a patient’s full drug costs, but in many cases they only provide a discount. Qualifying is not easy and there’s a lot of paperwork, but we’re supportive in exploring all useful options when it comes to affording medication.
Access
Consumers can find these programs through their doctors, pharmacists, community clinics, directly from the drug companies or on the Internet. There are three major sites which provide information on who can apply and how to take advantage of the benefits: www.rxassist.org (created by Volunteers in Health Care, a Brown University Center for Primary Care and Prevention resource), www.pparx.org (led, in part, by the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America) which offers a useful eligibility screening questionnaire), and www.needymeds.org (which earns revenue though advertising and has a clickable map for national and local programs). (more…)
Tagged with: affordable prescriptions, Drug Prices, Medicare, pharmaceutical companies, save money
by Gabriel Levitt, President, PharmacyChecker.com and Prescription Justice | May 25, 2010 | Drug Prices
In sharp contrast to major increases in U.S. brand name drug prices, prices on brand name medication from online pharmacies dispensing from abroad have decreased over the past 18 months according to our most recent price analysis. Looking at ten popular brand name medications, prices on eight products decreased by 7% to 26% and increased for only two products. During the same period, U.S. pharmacy prices increased by 7% to 24%, or an average 15%, excluding Prevacid which dropped in price due to generic competition. The increase in U.S. prices is consistent with figures recently reported by AARP. American consumers can now save on average 73% on brand name drugs purchased from Canadian or other international online pharmacies compared to domestic bricks and mortar pharmacies. For details click here.
Tagged with: AARP, Canadian pharmacies, Drug Prices, international pharmacies
by Gabriel Levitt, President, PharmacyChecker.com and Prescription Justice | Apr 22, 2010 | Drug Prices
For most industries, prices were stagnant in 2009. In fact, the consumer price index was down 0.4% last year (ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/cpi/cpiai.txt). But according to the Wall Street Journal, drug prices in the United States were up by 9.1%, the largest increase in more than a decade. Below is an analysis of the prices of two popular prescription drugs identified in the WSJ as showing the greatest increases, the cost for an uninsured American at a local New York City pharmacy, and how much they could save through personal drug importation via a verified online pharmacy.
| | Per Pill Cost[i] | | | Potential Savings | | |
| Medication Name: Brand (Generic) | Strength | U.S[ii] | Canada[iii] | NZ/UK[iv] | Canada | Other Int'l | Overall |
| Tegretol (Carbamazepine) | 200mg | $2.87 | $0.77 | $0.57 | 73% | 80% | 80% |
| Cleocin HCl (Clindamycin) [v] | 300mg caps | $24.00 | $3.38 | NA | 86% | NA | 86% |
| Catapres (Clonidine HCl) | 0.1mg | $3.34 | $0.45 | NA | 86% | NA | 86% |
| Sandimmune (Cyclosporine) | 100mg /mL 50mL | $664.84 | $327.98 | NA | 51% | NA | 51% |
| Lanoxin (Digoxin)[vi] | 0.125mg | $12.54 | $0.75 | NA | 94% | NA | 94% |
| Depakote (Divalproex)[vii] | 250mg | $5.73 | $0.90 | NA | 84% | NA | 84% |
| Zarontin (Ethosuximide) | 250mg | $4.51 | $0.66 | NA | 85% | NA | 85% |
| Synthroid (Levothyroxine) | 100 mcg (0.1mg) | $1.87 | $0.35 | $0.63 | 81% | 66% | 81% |
| Dilantin (Phenytoin) | 100mg | $1.45 | $0.33 | $0.48 | 77% | 67% | 77% |
| Depakene (Valproic acid) | 250mg | $5.76 | $0.93 | NA | 84% | NA | 84% |
| Coumadin (Warfarin) | 5mg | $3.69 | $0.60 | NA | 84% | NA | 84% |
*Prices as of 4/21/2010
The chief medical officer of Express Scripts, one of the largest pharmacy benefit mangers, is quoted in the article as saying that the price increases on brand name drugs were “exacerbated by the health-care reform debate,” suggesting that drug companies are jacking up prices before they are required to give rebates under Medicaid and Medicare. Some pharmaceutical companies countered that their “price adjustments,” in part, were based on a strategy to ensure consumer access to medications. Raising prices at rates not seen in a decade doesn’t seem like a great way to ensure consumer access to medications, especially during a year plagued by economic recession and major job losses.
Tagged with: consumer price index, cpi, Express Scripts, medicaid, Medicare, pharmaceutical companies
