Updated 03/06/2010 07:55 AM
Are you overpaying for prescription drugs?
A new study shows there are huge disparities in the price of prescription drugs among pharmacies in the same communities and it suggests that this is happening all across the state. Kaitlyn Ross has more on what you need to know if you are heading to your local pharmacy.
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STATEWIDE -- For people without healthcare, or no prescription coverage, the difference from one pharmacy to the next could be hundreds of dollars.
“It's stunning that for the exact same prescription, in the exact same county, you could be paying as much as $600 more for the exact same prescription. Really it's just mind boggling,” said Blair.
Currently there's no cap on how much pharmacies can charge for prescription drugs and according to a new study by NYPIRG, the Consumer's Union, and AARP, it's a freedom many are taking advantage of.
In the Capital District the drug Prevacid had a high price of $272 and a low price of $32. That's a difference of $240.
In Western New York the same drug had a high of $318 and a low price of $50. A difference of $268. In New York City the group found the most shocking results. The drug Plavix cost $681 in one pharmacy, and just $25 in another. That's a difference of $656.
"For people who are buying prescription drugs with their own money, it's basically a competitive market place,” said Chuck Bell, Consumers Union Program Director.
In New York, the government has come up with a tool for consumers to find the best price for their medication: the website: rx.nyhealth.gov and while it's mandated that every pharmacy in the state post that website so consumers can be informed, the group also found that the majority of them don't.
"Very very few pharmacies post the sign, so it's an issue on non-compliance with the law issue, pharmacies are not following the law,” said Blair.
While it's up to the education department to enforce the law, Horner says just making consumers aware about the website can go a long way.
"The people who need help the most are the people who pay the most money. That's simply outrageous,” said Horner.
Always ask for generic form and if you can't afford a prescription, tell your doctor.