# The prescription medication adventure continues!



## Katie H (Jun 10, 2014)

And so it continues...

Today I took my medication bottle and visited all five of my area pharmacies to try to get a bead on what this medication will cost me since I hit a dead end via the Internet.

What an education!!!

In addition to my region's mom-and-pop drug retailers, I also stopped at nationally recognized chain stores.  Walgreen's was a huge disappointment in that they gave me an extremely hard time and nearly refused to give me any kind of dollar figure.  After being tenacious, they finally quoted a figure of $449.00 for a 90-day fill.  If I wanted to pay an annual fee, the cost would be a bit lower.  Sheesh!

CVS, Rite-Aid, Wal-Mart and Kroger were very helpful and didn't hesitate to aid me in my quest.  The prices quoted from them ranged from $80.00 to $340.00, again for a 90-day supply.

The surprise was the only mom-and-pop pharmacy...$45.00 for 90 tablets!!!!  What?!

All the pharmacies I've listed are essentially the only ones available to us within a 75-mile radius, so my research has gone as far as I can take it.  The only one I haven't checked yet is Sam's which is a bit of a distance and a place I don't go to very often, but I'll compare their price just to complete my search.  As it turns out, I'll be near them tomorrow.

Hmmm?  Guess where I'll do my business?  I have a feeling it will be the nice mom-and-pop store.


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## Andy M. (Jun 10, 2014)

I'm glad you found a reasonable price for your med, Katie.


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## Cheryl J (Jun 11, 2014)

Wow...what a difference in prices!  I too am glad your sleuthing paid off.


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## medtran49 (Jun 11, 2014)

Not to be a downer, but was the mom-n-pop place giving you the commercially manufactured medication or a compounded one (i.e. one they make themselves)?  Just be sure what you are getting since there is such a price difference.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 11, 2014)

That's wonderful, Katie!  Persistence pays off!


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## Katie H (Jun 11, 2014)

medtran49 said:


> Not to be a downer, but was the mom-n-pop place giving you the commercially manufactured medication or a compounded one (i.e. one they make themselves)?  Just be sure what you are getting since there is such a price difference.



No, not compounded by them.  I watched as the pharmacist took the bottle off the shelf to check it to be certain it was the medication I needed.  It was the real deal.  Good point, though, because there are those that do compound medications.


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## Katie H (Jun 11, 2014)

Cheryl J said:


> Wow...what a difference in prices!  I too am glad your sleuthing paid off.



I was absolutely stunned at the differences in prices. It'll be interesting to see what they say when I stop at Sam's today.  Hmmmm.....


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## Addie (Jun 11, 2014)

Katie, when I lived in Everett, we had a small local Prescription Shoppe (their spelling). They held on through the Walgreen's, Brooks, and two other chain pharmacies. When the chain stores came to town, a lot of the local folk stayed with the small Shoppe. And a lot of folks changed over to them when chain after chain kept changing hands. When one chain closed, all their scripts went to another branch in a town two cities away. As a result, that little Shoppe today is thriving and healthy. Only one chain remains in Everett today.


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## Roll_Bones (Jun 11, 2014)

I tried the application I found on Needy Meds.  It was the site for Phizer, the maker of Relpax.
We could not meet the income limits.  Otherwise it would have been free.

Katie. Have you tried Needy Meds web site?

The mom and pop shops price is the same as Relpax's co-pay before they removed it from the formulary.
Looks like you found the right place!

I am going to do the same. Shop it!


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## cave76 (Jun 11, 2014)

Katie H said:


> No, not compounded by them.  I watched as the pharmacist took the bottle off the shelf to check it to be certain it was the medication I needed.  It was the real deal.  Good point, though, because there are those that do compound medications.



Do you know where the drugs were manufactured? Would the Mom/Pop people show you the bottle?


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## Mad Cook (Jun 11, 2014)

cave76 said:


> Do you know where the drugs were manufactured? Would the Mom/Pop people show you the bottle?


Small independents have a reputation to keep up especially if they have been in business for any length of time.


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## cave76 (Jun 11, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> Small independents have a reputation to keep up especially if they have been in business for any length of time.



????


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## Katie H (Jun 11, 2014)

Thanks all.  Yes, the mom-and-pop pharmacy has the legit med.  My visit to Sam's today was a joke.  Their price was $279.00.  Ha!  Ha!

Went to Needy Meds and learned that my drug is not part of their program.  Thanks for the lead.

And the beat goes on.....


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## Dawgluver (Jun 11, 2014)

Isn't it  ridiculous that you have to do this?  I'm just shaking my head.


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## Katie H (Jun 11, 2014)

Dawgluver said:


> Isn't it  ridiculous that you have to do this?  I'm just shaking my head.



Yes, Dawg, it is totally ridiculous.  Just because I became 65-years-old.

I'm just thankful that I am healthy and don't have to rely on many, many medications to maintain my quality of life.

It's beginning to pxxx me off, if you understand my French.  I've gone beyond the head-scratching stage, now I'm getting angry.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 11, 2014)

I was so grateful when Shrek turned 65 and I could take him off my work insurance (an extra $350 a month) and got Medicare...however, with the "donut hole" and out of pocket expenses of his Parts B & D, I'm really not sure I am saving any money.


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## taxlady (Jun 11, 2014)

I'm glad I live in Quebec. If you are covered by Quebec medicare (basically all permanent residents), you have to be covered for drug insurance. If you are eligible through work or a professional association, you have to sign up for that. If you aren't eligible, you get the government insurance which is, for 2014, a maximum of $607/year based on income. It gets paid along with QC income tax and that's where the calculation is done.

Generally, the drug portion of the premium for group insurance is similar to what one would pay for the gov't insurance. Might be a bit more if it has a lower co-pay.


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## Addie (Jun 12, 2014)

cave76 said:


> ????



She saw him take down the bottle and show it to her.


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## Mad Cook (Jun 28, 2014)

I was always glad that my mother married my dad but reading all your health trials and tribulations I am SO glad she didn't marry the American RAF pilot she dated before she met Dad!

Good ol' National Health Service!


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## jabbur (Jun 28, 2014)

I love my pharmacy! It's a local family run shop.  Father-daughter run for several years.  Dad recently retired but daughter took over.  Know them by first names.  Always ask about us when we go in.


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## Roll_Bones (Jun 28, 2014)

taxlady said:


> I'm glad I live in Quebec. If you are covered by Quebec medicare (basically all permanent residents), you have to be covered for drug insurance. If you are eligible through work or a professional association, you have to sign up for that. If you aren't eligible, you get the government insurance which is, for 2014, a maximum of $607/year based on income. It gets paid along with QC income tax and that's where the calculation is done.
> 
> Generally, the drug portion of the premium for group insurance is similar to what one would pay for the gov't insurance. Might be a bit more if it has a lower co-pay.



The US once again can learn from our neighbors up north. 
The US is supposed to have the best health care system in the world.  Problem is, you have to have the money to access it.



Mad Cook said:


> I was always glad that my mother married my dad but reading all your health trials and tribulations I am SO glad she didn't marry the American RAF pilot she dated before she met Dad!
> Good ol' National Health Service!



The deniers, racists and haters in this country (US) call you guys and other single payer system countries socialist.
I would gladly accept the moniker "socialist" if it would mean the same health care for every American.
The same health care the congress and president get.

Our President has been roasted over the coals for trying to fix this disparity in our country.  He is hated by many, because he wants to make health care available and affordable to every single American.  There is no doubt the program had many problems when it was first implemented.  It still needs work.

The majority of those complaining and saying their insurance went up, could not keep their insurance and the new policies are too expensive must live on another planet.  Not the earth.

1) Could not keep what I already had = in reality the policy most likely did not meet the minimum guidelines for coverage and was considered below par.
This is why some people could not keep what they had.


2) My current policy premium went up = They did not shop for a new policy that most likely would have lowered their overall medical costs including prescriptions.  They were hard headed and did not want to explore what was available to them. Politics played a large role in these peoples  decision to keep their overprice policies and not looking at better insurance.
They wanted no part of the presidents new law. 

3) The new insurance policies under the ACA are to expensive = They never actually went to the exchange and got a real quote or they make way to much money to get a low premium plan.
I personally went to the exchange and used all three daughters and their families as examples.
Each and every one was eligible, the premiums were affordable and the policies were better than my Medicare Advantage Plan.
Two had existing health care from their employers.  But my youngest did not and now has excellent coverage with a very affordable premium.

Its a start, but a single payer system is what this country needs.
We are supposed to be the best country in the world and we still have not figured out how to take care of our own people.
Seems fighting wars is more important to some.  

Health Care.

Canada, France, Great Britain > United States.


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## Katie H (Jun 28, 2014)

And the saga continues...

After all has been said and done, I visited 11 pharmacies in two cities.  The quotes for the medication went from the ridiculous to the sublime.

Once I evaluated all the information I'd gathered, I determined that my Kroger (grocery store) pharmacy had the best price.  I thought the mom-and-pop place was the winner but when I went back, with my notes from my previous visit, to have the prescription filled the price was 3 times what I'd been told.  The clerk misunderstood, even though I clearly told her and handed her my labeled prescription bottle, and stated the price for 30 days rather than 90 days.

Still, there's a bit of a glitch.  When I picked up my 90 pills at Kroger I mentioned that I'd had quite a journey and was shocked at the variance in prices.  The pharmacist seemed puzzled/curious and went to his computer.  The $79/90 days he'd quoted me was correct, but upon checking the supplier, he discovered that the price (to the customer) had been entered incorrectly, waaaaay incorrectly.  He told me to enjoy my current low price and advised me that when the corporate office updates the master database, my prescription will be substantially different the next time it needs to be filled.

Gosh this is fun.


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