by Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com and Sam Werbalowsky, Pharmacychecker.com | Jan 31, 2013 | Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies, Prescription Drug Reports
Spiriva HandiHaler (tiotropium bromide inhalation powder) is a popular prescription medication used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In 2011, Americans spent $2.4 billion on it, making it the 23rd most popular drug that year.
Spiriva is a very expensive medicine at $1,031.97 for a 90 day supply from a local U.S. pharmacy. Considering that cost is the number one factor contributing to Americans not taking prescribed medications. With no low-cost generic available, Americans without insurance or whose insurance does not cover Spiriva Handihaler will too often skip their medicine, resulting in poor health outcomes, including, but not limited to, hospitalization and emergency room visits.
Fortunately, there are ways to save including by using discount cards, drug coupons, or online pharmacies. In fact, by using an international online pharmacy, you can save over $3,200 a year by paying only $205.47 for a 90 day supply! If you need your medication immediately, you should use a drug coupon or discount card at your local pharmacy, which will save you 17%. Check out our price table below to view the best prices on Spiriva Handihaler.
Savings on 90 Day Supply of Spiriva HandiHaler
Program |
Price |
Savings over Local Pharmacy |
Percent savings |
U.S. Local Pharmacy |
$1,031.97 |
— |
— |
Discount Card Option |
$854.81 |
$177.16 |
17% |
Discount Coupon Option |
$853.96 |
$178.01 |
17% |
U.S. Online Pharmacy |
$749.70 |
$282.27 |
27% |
International Online Pharmacy |
$205.47 |
$826.50 |
80% |
Local pharmacy in New York City, U.S. online international pharmacy found at Healthwarehouse.com, International Online Pharmacy price as found on PharmacyChecker.com, discount card used found on RxCut.com, coupon found on Goodrx.com. Prices collected 1/29/2013.
Tagged with: Spiriva HandiHaler
by Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com and Sam Werbalowsky, Pharmacychecker.com | Jan 18, 2013 | Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies, Prescription Drug Reports
Fifteen million Americans suffer from heartburn every day, caused by such conditions as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), Laryngopharyngeal disease, dyspepsia, and peptic ulcer disease. If you suffer from chronic heartburn you may want to use a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) to treat it. Which one should you take, and which is the best value?
PPI’s are among the most commonly prescribed medications; Americans spent over $6 billion dollars on Nexium, “the purple pill”, in 2011. That same year, over 59 million prescriptions were written for omeprazole (generic Prilosec). These numbers don’t even include sales for Aciphex, another popular prescription PPI, or any of the over the counter PPI’s, such as Prilosec (low dosage), Prevacid, or lower dose omeprazole.
A report from Consumer Reports studying 7 different PPI’s, found that all of them completely relieved symptoms for roughly 7 out of 10 patients within four weeks, and they repaired damage to the esophagus in roughly 9 out of 10 people within eight weeks. Consumer Reports recommends the OTC drugs when they are an option. If the necessary dosage is not available in OTC drugs, you should consult your doctor to find the prescription-only PPI with the lowest out of pocket costs. All of the OTC PPI’s mentioned above are about $30 for 28 pills. If you choose to go with a prescription medication, check out the price tables below. We’ve compiled price comparisons for two popular brand name PPI’s below. For instance, you can save up to 89% — or $233 a month — on the “Purple Pill” by ordering from a verified online pharmacy.
Savings on 30 Pills of Nexium 40 mg
Program |
Price |
Savings over Local Pharmacy |
Percent savings |
U.S. Local Pharmacy |
$260.99 |
— |
— |
Discount Card Option |
$222.96 |
$38.03 |
15% |
Discount Coupon Option |
$213.07 |
$47.92 |
18% |
U.S. Online Pharmacy |
$203.08 |
$57.91 |
22% |
International Online Pharmacy |
$27.90 |
$233.09 |
89% |
Local pharmacy in New York City, U.S. online international pharmacy found at Healthwarehouse.com International Online Pharmacy price as found on PharmacyChecker.com, discount card used found on RxCut.com, coupon found on Goodrx.com. Prices collected 1/16/2013.
Compare Nexium Prices on PharmacyChecker.com
Savings on 30 Pills of Aciphex 20 mg
Program |
Price |
Savings over Local Pharmacy |
Percent savings |
U.S. Local Pharmacy |
$347.99 |
— |
— |
Discount Card Option |
$321.11 |
$26.88 |
8% |
Discount Coupon Option |
$280.83 |
$67.16 |
19% |
U.S. Online Pharmacy |
$260.10 |
$87.89 |
25% |
International Online Pharmacy |
$49.00 |
$298.99 |
86% |
Local pharmacy in New York City, U.S. online international pharmacy found at Healthwarehouse.com International Online Pharmacy price as found on PharmacyChecker.com, discount card used found on RxCut.com, coupon found on Goodrx.com. Prices collected 1/16/2013.
Compare AciphexPrices on PharmacyChecker.com
Tagged with: Hearbturn, Nexium, OTC, Prilosec, proton pump inhibitors
by Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com and Sam Werbalowsky, Pharmacychecker.com | Dec 14, 2012 | Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies, Prescription Drug Reports
For nearly a decade, Pfizer’s Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering medication, was America’s most popular brand name prescription drug. Americans spent a whopping $7.7 billion dollars on it in 2011 (and worldwide sales totaled about $11 billion). Since its U.S. patent expiration over a year ago, an increasing number of Americans have now shifted to lower cost generic versions. Still, some folks are sticking with brand name Lipitor. We’ve identified the best ways to save on brand name and generic Lipitor below.
Generic drugs are often preferable to brands because they are generally much cheaper even though they have the same active ingredients as the original. If you’re concerned about buying generic Lipitor because of the recent recall by Indian drug company Ranbaxy, you should know that there are other manufacturers who make generic Lipitor and generic Lipitor is still widely available. Moreover, it’s likely that Ranbaxy’s version will be back on the market soon. As a matter of personal preference and brand trust some people still prefer Pfizer’s Lipitor to the generic. What is most important is that you can afford and take the medicine that you need.
So where do the Lipitor and Atorvastatin savings stand now? (To skip to the summary of the savings, view the pricing chart).
Brand Lipitor
Online Savings Are Best
Even with generic competition, the cash price of Lipitor remains very expensive domestically – a 30-day supply of Lipitor 20mg is $226 at a local pharmacy in New York City. The absolute greatest savings on Lipitor is achieved by purchasing a three-month supply from an international online pharmacy, from which the lowest price found on PharmacyChecker.com is $68. Compare that to $678 at that local pharmacy in NYC and the savings comes out to 90% – over $2,400 annually!
Prescription Drug Discount Card/Coupon
The savings are not very substantial using standard discount cards and coupons. The highest discount we found for standard cards was 18%. However, Pfizer has a more significant savings program…
Pfizer’s Lipitor For You
Pfizer has a Lipitor discount program called Lipitor For You. The program can help you save money, but its marketing is a little deceptive. It claims to lower your out-of-pocket expenses to $4 for a one-month supply of Lipitor. Well, it can do that, and sometimes does. In reality, the Pfizer discount card is actually a $75 coupon, which can reduce your out-of-pocket expense to a minimum of $4. However, if your copay is high enough – over $79 – you will pay more than $4. If you don’t have insurance and the cash price is $226 then the discount of $75 will bring down the cost to $151 – a 33% discount. With Pfizer’s Lipitor program, savings are twice as large as using a normal discount but not as a great as using an international online pharmacy.
Bottom Line: For brand name Lipitor, the maximum savings are found either at an international online pharmacy or the Lipitor For You program, depending on whether or not you have insurance.
Generic Lipitor
Like the brand, the generic cash price can also be very high at local pharmacies — $157.99 at that same NYC pharmacy mentioned above, which is way more expensive that the brand version internationally! While conducting the drug price research for this blog post, the New York City pharmacist we spoke with even agreed; before stating the generic Lipitor price, he said, “It’s very expensive!” Here’s what you can do…
Buying Generic Lipitor Online A Great Deal!
As far as ordering generic Lipitor 20mg online goes, the U.S. has great prices – a three-month supply for $36. The international price is a little lower at $33 ,but you may also have higher overall costs because international shipping fees are higher, not to mention much longer waiting times
Local Pharmacies With A Discount Card Also A Great Deal!!
We’ve discovered that purchasing at your local pharmacy using a discount card is also a great deal – a 30-day supply is about $14.50, and a 90 day supply is $36.50. Keep in mind that when buying locally there are no wait times or shipping fees.
Bottom Line: When it comes to generic Lipitor, our research shows great deals both online and at the local pharmacy so it’s up to you to determine whichever way is most convenient and desirable.
To summarize, discount coupons and online pharmacies in the U.S. or abroad all offer pretty much the same savings on atorvastatin – the generic of Lipitor. When it comes to ordering the brand name version, the best savings depend on a variety of factors. If you have insurance, it depends on your co-pay amount, with the Lipitor For You program offering a great option. If you don’t have insurance and need to pay the cash price in the pharmacy, then Pfizer’s Lipitor from international online pharmacies is clearly your best deal. It will save you about $2,400 a year! Just make sure the online pharmacy is verified by an independent third party, such as those listed on PharmacyChecker.com.
Brand Lipitor 20 mg Savings (90 day supply)
Program |
Price |
Savings over Local Pharmacy |
Percent savings |
Annual Savings |
Local Pharmacy |
$677.97 |
— |
— |
— |
Discount Card Option |
$555.50 |
$122.47 |
18% |
$489.88 |
Coupon Option |
$532.68 |
$145.29 |
21% |
$581.16 |
U.S. Online Pharmacy |
$500.30 |
$177.67 |
26% |
$710.68 |
International Online Pharmacy: |
$68.00 |
$609.97 |
90% |
$2,439.88 |
Local pharmacy in New York City, International Online Pharmacy price as found on PharmacyChecker.com. Prices collected 12/13/2012
Generic Lipitor (Atorvastatin) 20 mg Savings (90 day supply)
Program |
Price |
Savings over Local Pharmacy |
Percent savings |
Annual Savings |
Local Pharmacy |
$157.99 |
— |
— |
— |
Discount Card Option |
$36.50 |
$121.49 |
18% |
$485.96 |
Coupon Option |
$36.50 |
$121.49 |
18% |
$485.96 |
U.S. Online Pharmacy |
$36.00 |
$121.99 |
18% |
$487.96 |
International Online Pharmacy: |
$32.90 |
$125.09 |
18% |
$500.36 |
Local pharmacy in New York City, International Online Pharmacy price as found on PharmacyChecker.com. Prices collected 12/13/2012
Tagged with: Coupons, Discount Cards, Lipitor, Online Pharmacies
by PharmacyChecker.com | Nov 16, 2012 | Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies, Prescription Drug Reports
Crestor is one of the most popular cholesterol lowering medications in a group of drugs called statins. It treats a variety of conditions, including hyperlipidemia, mixed dyslipidemia, and hypertriglyceridemia. In 2011, Crestor was the second most popular statin by spending in the U.S. Americans spent $4.4 billion dollars on it. The first was Lipitor on which Americans spent $7.7 billion dollars. You can save thousands of dollars a year by shopping for Crestor online.
Even though Lipitor is now available in a cheaper generic form, the same is not true for Crestor. It will remain expensive, and many Americans will face high prices for Crestor at the pharmacy.
At a local U.S. pharmacy, 90 pills of Crestor 10 mg cost over $600; at the lowest-priced international online pharmacy it’s only $52.20 — a 92% savings. Over one year, that’s just over $2,300!
If you can’t wait a few weeks for the shipping and delivery of your medicine, then you should look for discounts at your local pharmacy. We found that using a drug discount card can save you 29%, and a drug coupon can save you 39%. Check out our table below to see the savings.
If you need your medicine immediately, use either the discount card or coupon. When it comes time to refill, you could order through an international online pharmacy. Just make sure it’s PharmacyChecker.com approved. No matter what you do, don’t stop taking your physician-prescribed medicine.
Savings on 90 Pills of Crestor 10 mg
Program |
Price |
Savings over Local Pharmacy |
Percent savings |
U.S. Local Pharmacy |
$632.97 |
— |
— |
Discount Card Option |
$471.71 |
$161.26 |
25% |
Discount Coupon Option |
$388.23 |
$244.74 |
39% |
U.S. Online Pharmacy |
$472.26 |
$160.71 |
25% |
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.
If you are looking for Crestor in other strengths, look at these pricing charts:
Crestor 5 mg
Crestor 10 mg
Crestor 20 mg
Crestor 40 mg
Tagged with: Crestor, Drug Prices, international online pharmacies, Online Pharmacies
by PharmacyChecker.com | Oct 31, 2012 | Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies, Prescription Drug Reports
Advair Diskus is one of the most popular brand name drugs for the treatment of asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). It combines fluticasone, an inhaled corticosteroid, and salmeterol a long acting beta antagonist (LABA). With over 25 million Americans suffering from asthma, and an estimated annual cost of $3,300 per person, asthma patients are looking for any way possible to save.1
Advair Diskus costs $834 for a three-month supply at a local pharmacy in the U.S. Annualized, that’s over $2,500! While discount cards and coupons can help you save on Advair if you want to buy it from your local pharmacy, there are much larger savings online. Discount cards and coupons offer about 5% and 4% savings respectively. Ordering from a credentialed online pharmacy can save you over 87%.That’s over $2,900 per year.
If you need Advair immediately, and can’t wait 2 weeks or so to receive your medicine in the mail, then shop locally. When it’s time to refill, the best savings are by far found online. Just make sure you order from a verified, online pharmacy, such as those listed on PharmacyChecker.com. Whatever you do, don’t stop taking your medicine.
We’ve made a chart to show you the savings offered through various programs. Take a look below:
Savings on three-month supply of Advair 250-50 mcg
Program |
Price |
Savings over Local Pharmacy |
Percent savings |
U.S. Local Pharmacy |
$834 |
— |
— |
Discount Card Option |
$789.36 |
$44.64 |
5.4% |
Discount Coupon Option |
$797.61 |
$36.39 |
4.4% |
U.S. Online Pharmacy |
$759.90 |
$74.10 |
8.9% |
International Online Pharmacy |
$108 |
$726 |
87.1% |
Local pharmacy in New York City, International Online Pharmacy price as found on PharmacyChecker.com. Prices collected 10/29/2012
And for your own convenience, here are links to pricing pages for all strengths of Advair. Happy savings, and stay healthy!
Advair Diskus 100-50 mcg
Advair Diskus 250-50 mcg
Advair Diskus 500-50 mcg
1American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology, http://www.aaaai.org/about-the-aaaai/newsroom/asthma-statistics.aspx
Tagged with: Advair Diskus, Online Pharmacies, prescription savings
by PharmacyChecker.com | Oct 24, 2012 | Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies, Prescription Drug Reports
Abilify is a top selling brand name medication used to treat a variety of conditions for various age groups, including schizophrenia for ages 13 and older, bipolar I disorder for ages 10 and over, and major depressive disorder in adults. Unfortunately, it’s a very expensive drug, but luckily there are ways to save thousands of dollars a year.
In 2011, Americans spent over 5.2 billion dollars on Abilify. Its cash price at a local pharmacy for a three-month’s supply of 10 milligram tablets is just over $2,200. Luckily, if you’re looking for Abilify and don’t have insurance (or if your insurance doesn’t cover it) you don’t have to pay this high price! The savings are by far greatest online, but if you need your medicine immediately and can’t wait 2-3 weeks for shipping, you can use a coupon or discount card at your local pharmacy.
By using a coupon at your local pharmacy, you can save about 16%, bringing the 90 day cost down to $1,858. Using a discount card brings slightly better savings at 22% and a 90 day cost of $1,737.
That’s still a lot of money to spend per year on medication. By ordering through an international online pharmacy, you can save 85%, and spend only $330 over 90 days. The annualized potential savings are $7,535! Here’s a handy chart that shows the savings:
Three-Month’s Supply of Abilify (10 mg) Cost
|
Price |
Savings over Local Pharmacy |
Percent Savings |
Local Pharmacy: |
$2,214 |
– |
– |
Discount Card Option: |
$1,737 |
$477 |
22% |
Coupon Option |
$1,858 |
$356 |
16% |
U.S. Online Pharmacy: |
$1,778 |
$436 |
20% |
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
If you choose to order online, make sure the pharmacy is verified as safe by a third party, such as those listed on PharmacyChecker.com. Here are links to our price comparisons for the different strengths of Abilify:
Tagged with: Abilify, affordable prescriptions, Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies