by Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com and Sam Werbalowsky, Pharmacychecker.com | Dec 23, 2013 | Online Pharmacies
The Internet offers almost everything, from news on sports and politics to forums and games. A new study from the Pew Research Center suggests that the Internet may even be useful in improving health outcomes. Make no mistake, the study doesn’t say that Internet access and use makes you healthier, but it does find that Americans with chronic conditions are more likely than regular Internet users to seek out information about their health. Specifically, that means gathering information online about medical issues, consulting online reviews about drugs and other treatments, and reading or watching something online about some else’s personal health experience.
The problem is that people with chronic conditions are less likely to be using the internet in the first place. Only 72% of adults with chronic conditions use the internet, compared to 89% of adults with no chronic conditions. Part of this gap is due to the fact that older Americans are more likely to have a chronic condition and also less likely to use the Internet. Only 53% (and growing) of seniors are online, compared to 85% of all Americans. It seems that the group who could make the best use of internet resources is those least likely to access them. One company’s newsletter suggests that getting Americans with chronic conditions online will help them get facts about their condition, prepare them to discuss data with their doctor, and also look for others who share their conditions.
Here at PharmacyChecker, we know that greater internet access will also help more consumers save money on their medication. We hope that Pew or other research organizations continue to study the effects of the internet and internet access on health, especially toward the goal of helping Americans find affordable healthcare, which has proven to improve health outcomes.
Tagged with: Internet access, Pew Research Center, seniors
by Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com and Sam Werbalowsky, Pharmacychecker.com | Nov 27, 2013 | Online Pharmacies
Mail order pharmacies, including online pharmacies, have their benefits; your medicine comes right to your doorstep, you have more privacy regarding your medication, and, usually, you don’t have to spend as much as you would in a brick-and-mortar pharmacy. A new study of diabetic patients, “Safety and Effectiveness of Mail Order Pharmacy Use in Diabetes,” finds that using mail-order pharmacies may actually prevent negative health outcomes more so than walk-in pharmacies.
The study focused on diabetics because they are at high risk of being prescribed contraindicated medications (ones that would interfere with their normal drug regimens) and often require laboratory work to monitor the effectiveness of their medications. Some may think that patients using mail order pharmacies will experience more negative health outcomes than those using walk-in pharmacies because they do not have face-to-face interactions with pharmacists.
The study found that use of mail order pharmacies “was not negatively associated with patient safety outcomes overall, suggesting that mail order use does not serve as a barrier to receiving primary and preventive care services for most patients.” In fact, the study showed that mail order pharmacy users under 65 were less likely than local pharmacy users to visit emergency rooms. However, mail order pharmacy users under 65 on a subset of diabetic medications were more likely to forego a recommended serum creatinine lab test within 30 days. Patients over 65 who used mail order pharmacies were also less likely than local pharmacy users to have preventable emergency room visits. Despite the health benefits of mail order pharmacy, the study cautions that preventive and primary care must be kept in mind when encouraging their use.
We’re pleased to see the health benefits of mail order pharmacies highlighted in this study; after all, reputable online pharmacies are mail order pharmacies that allow patients to access medication safely and affordably.
Tagged with: diabetes, health outcomes
by PharmacyChecker.com | Nov 13, 2013 | Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies, Personal Drug Importation
For 15 weeks, we tracked prices among U.S. and foreign pharmacies on popular drugs manufactured in in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Our analysis found that these medications were an average 76% less expensive from the lowest-cost PharmacyChecker.com-approved international pharmacy than a local U.S. pharmacy in New York City. Even when medications were available as generics, such as Singluair and Urocit-K, the prices for the brand name abroad were cheaper than the generic in the U.S.
Just for the record, prescription drugs manufactured under government regulation in many other countries are just as safe as those made here. Critics of international online pharmacies (mostly people connected to drug companies or big chain pharmacy interests) often mention poor foreign manufacturing practices, especially for generic drugs, outside the U.S. to scare Americans from ordering medication internationally. But so many FDA-approved drugs currently sold in U.S. pharmacies are imported – 40% according to the FDA – and many are generics. As our vice president Gabriel Levitt said, “We looked only at brand name medications manufactured in the U.S., not because they’re any safer than those made elsewhere, but because we found it so compelling that the same drugs made here are about 76% less expensive abroad.”
For more information, read our recent press release.
Average Savings Buying from an International Online Pharmacy for Brand Name Medications Manufactured in America*
| Drug |
Local U.S. Pharmacy Price |
Lowest International PharmacyChecker.com Listed Price |
Percent Savings |
| Acuvail 0.45% – 30 vials+ |
$249 |
$65 |
74% |
| Cardura XL 4 mg – 90 pills |
$285 |
$67 |
76% |
| Crestor 40 mg – 90 pills+ |
$680 |
$140 |
79% |
| Cymbalta 60 mg – 90 pills+ |
$879 |
$116 |
87% |
| Invega 6 mg – 90 pills |
$1,932 |
$580 |
70% |
| Janumet 50/500 mg – 180 pills+ |
$1,050 |
$172 |
84% |
| Lotemax 0.5% – 5 ml |
$188 |
$30 |
84% |
| Lumigan 0.03% – 2.5 ml |
$114 |
$22 |
81% |
| Pataday 0.2% – 2.5 ml |
$161 |
$34 |
79% |
| Pulmicort 0.25 mg/2ml – 60 respules |
$698 |
$117 |
83% |
| Restasis 0.05% – 60 Vials |
$394 |
$116 |
71% |
| Singulair Granules 4 mg – 90 pills+ |
$732 |
$176 |
76% |
| Strattera 25 mg – 90 caps+ |
$828 |
$311 |
63% |
| Tarceva 100 mg – 30 pills |
$6,531 |
$1,949 |
70% |
| Urocit-K 10 meq – 90 pills++ |
$146 |
$57 |
61% |
| Average Savings |
|
|
76% |
* Includes manufacturing in Puerto Rico, Local U.S. Pharmacy Prices found at a New York City Rite-Aid
+price calculated from 84 pills.
++price calculated from 100 pills.
Tagged with: American Made Prescriptions Are Cheaper Abroad
by Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com and Sam Werbalowsky, Pharmacychecker.com | Nov 12, 2013 | Drug Safety, Online Pharmacies
“Is it safe to order prescription drugs from online pharmacies in Canada?”
Since prescription drug prices are much lower in Canada and other countries than in the U.S., Americans frequently ask this question. The New York Times’ Well Blog provides a simple and well-written answer that helps consumers find safe international online pharmacies that require a prescription and protect your privacy.
The answer to the question is, of course, yes, as long as the medications are regulated and dispensed from licensed pharmacies. The article “Ask Well: Buying Cheaper Drugs Online” notes that there are thousands of rogue sites pretending to be safe Canadian pharmacies. To avoid these rogue sites, simply shop from credentialed online pharmacies, including those listed on PharmacyChecker.com.
Tagged with: New York Times, Well Blog
by PharmacyChecker.com | Oct 31, 2013 | Drug Importation, Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies
The final post in our weekly series identifying prescription drugs manufactured in America and their prices.
Urocit-K (potassium citrate) is a medication used to prevent gout and kidney stones, as well as problems caused by kidney disease. Despite being made in the U.S., where it is also available as a generic, prices for Urocit-K are lower abroad than they are in U.S. pharmacies. Ninety tablets (10meq) of brand-name Urocit-K are $145.98 at a New York City Rite-Aid, and the generic is $124.08 at the same pharmacy. From an international online pharmacy, 90 tablets of Urocit-K are only $56.70. That’s a 61% savings!
There are hundreds if not thousands of medications made in America that are sold for much lower prices elsewhere. We hope this series opened a window of light for Americans who are looking for affordable medication or interested in prescription drug manufacturing and their prices.
Tagged with: American Made Prescriptions Are Cheaper Abroad, Urocit-K
by PharmacyChecker.com | Oct 25, 2013 | Drug Importation, Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies
A weekly series identifying prescription drugs manufactured in America and their prices.
Singulair 4 mg oral granules (montelukast) are used to treat asthma in pediatric patients. Brand-name Singulair is manufactured in the U.S. by Merck, but it is available for much lower prices in other countries. Brand-name Singulair from a verified international online pharmacy is even cheaper than the generic here! At a New York City pharmacy, 90 units of Singulair costs $731.99 and the generic is $458.99. From a PharmacyChecker.com approved international pharmacy, it costs only $176. That’s a 76% savings.
Tagged with: American Made Prescriptions Are Cheaper Abroad, asthma, Singulair
