topic Re: Prescription Prices at CVS? in Community Chat

Prescription Prices at CVS?

Anniecamp — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 23:08:56 GMT

My prescription plan has switched to CVS at the "preferred pharmacy" this

year. Does anyone here get their prescriptions filled there? Are they pricier than say, Walmart?

One just can't seem to peg pharmacies down on prices. They're all over the board, so I can't get a general idea if one pharmacy is less expensive than another.

One time, my med prescription said one wasn't covered (in error). I said I would just pay cash. The charge was going to be $55.00. Then, the problem got cleared up, and they charged the insurance company something like $22.00. Because the insurance companies are charged less, it's hard to tell where the best prices are for my out of pocket costs, as well as how fast I will end up in the "donut hole".

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

GCR18 — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 23:15:27 GMT

My company switched to CVS a couple years ago. I was going to Walgreens. CVS is cheaper than Walgreens.

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

Shelbelle — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 23:39:51 GMT

And Walmart is probably the cheapest of them all. We dont have Costco in our close area, so I cant compare with them.

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

Shelbelle — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 23:19:55 GMT

CVS and Target just merged, so now the Target Pharmacy Rewards Program bit the dust. We are now getting our RX thru our insurance carrier thru the mail, best deal yet. Express Scripts.

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

MaggieMack — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 23:21:07 GMT

I am not on any drugs that need to be refilled, but when I got my shingles vaccination, I went to Costco and paid less than anyone else I have talked to about it. Don't have a CVS in my community.

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

waterlily — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 23:26:46 GMT

Costco is cheapest by far and you don't have to be a member to use the pharmacy.

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

PINKdogWOOD — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 23:35:59 GMT

I'm able to belong to Express Scripts so the only script they fill for me is my BP and it costs me $17.00 for the year.

ANything we have filled at CVS costs us $0.00 copay or nothing more than $8.00 depending on what my husband may need to have filled. We paid for a few of his scripts when he was going through cancer but even then, they were mostly preventive or helping him with whatever ailed him at the time. I think only once we paid $55 for something if I recall. Most times however, only about $4 or $5.00.

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

Tissyanne — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 23:59:55 GMT

Pricing will depend on the agreement between your ins co and CVS. If CVS is the preferred pharmacy then you should pay lower prices.

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

Anniecamp — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 00:08:57 GMT

Thank you for your replies. I'm wondering if the Target/CVS pharmacy merge will help keep prices down? I think I'll inquire at Costco as to what they charge for some of my prescriptions. I can go to any pharmacy, but CVS is now the "preferred" which usually means best prices, as far as I know.

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

Perkup — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 00:10:21 GMT

We used Express Scripts when my former husband (now deceased) was alive and suffering from a massive stroke. We had to change to a local supplier. I would never use them again if my own life depended on it. I prefer not to say more.

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

Kachina624 — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 00:22:02 GMT

I would get on the phone and call local pharmacies before filling a prescription to get the best price. I've found Walgreens is usually the highest. You might check the website GoodRX and see if there's a coupon that might cover your meds. Another alternative might be to get it filled at a Canadian pharmacy. You can check their prices after doing a search to find several. Thousands of people use them.

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

Melania — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 00:50:18 GMT

The only way to know is to call them and ask.

Also, look into mail order and keep in mind if it's regular insurance (not medicare) your costs could go down as the year goes on and your first fill is the highest with some plans.

DH read an article that you can negotiate what's the lowest rate you can get and they will do it. Who knew?

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

Catty2 — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 01:30:31 GMT

I've used the CVS pharmacy for years and am happy with their prices and service. One of my scripts comes from their specialty pharmacy and is rather costly but I don't have a choice if I want to manage my rheumatoid arthritis.

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

Tinkrbl44 — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 01:51:39 GMT

Walmart is definitely the cheapest ..... unless you have no co-pay and insurance covers it all.

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

Meowingkitty — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 02:26:09 GMT

We also are supposed to use CVS but we can use any pharmacy if we want. Last month my husband had an emergency appendectomy and upon his release from the hospital he was given the pain killer Percocet. I went to the CVS by our house and they said they were out and it would be 10 days before the supply would come in. Then the went to another CVS a mile away, same story. I then tried a third CVS down the road, same story again. What pharmacy runs out of a common painkiller? Went to Walgreens and had it in my hands within 5 minutes. We have every drugstore/pharmacy imaginable within a 5 mile radius.

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

Lucky Charm — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 02:56:17 GMT

I had to go to an Urgent Care for a bad ear ache and sore throat as we are hundreds of miles away from home.

I had them send my script for amoxocylan (sp?) to a CVS as I knew I used them years ago, again, out of state.

Was so happy there were no *glitches*, they had our name, insurance on file and the prescription was only $6.65 for a ten day supply.

I have no complaints!

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

hoosieroriginal — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 13:52:00 GMT

I heard somewhere that the cheapest place to get your prescriptions are the big box stores (Sam's Club, Costco) - and you don't have to be a member to get a prescription filled there!

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

I am still oxox — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 16:16:03 GMT

The plan sets the prices not the pharmacy, if they are on your plan all of the pharmacies should have the same price

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

Susan Louise — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 16:21:42 GMT

DH is currently serching for another pharmacy that will be cheaper for his crestor...it just went up again! We have been using CVS for years, but will have to go to a 2nd pharmacy now just for that perscription.

Re: Prescription Prices at CVS?

Havarti — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 16:43:26 GMT

I have BC/BS and CVS is their “preferred” pharmacy. I am convinced it is “preferred” because there must be some type of financial benefit to BC/BS other than low rates to them (dare I speculate kick-backs???). The few times I tried CVS the prescriptions were at least 5 times more expensive to me than the same Rx at Wal-Mart.

Another thing that bothered me was that CVS reports back to BC/BS if you do not refill your Rx. I had the first 3 months of a blood pressure prescription filled at CVS (all at once) and when I found out the cost I switched to Wal-Mart for that prescription. CVS kept calling with automated voice messages reminding me to refill and then chastising me for not refilling my prescription. When I called them and opted out of these calls, I started receiving letters from BC/BS about the dangers of not taking necessary medicine. Clearly CVS reported to BC/BS that I had stopped filling that RX with them. BC/BS even sent me a giant pill box to encourage me to manage my pills (I only take one prescription). Apparently there is no cross-checking within BC/BS to see that the same prescription is being filled elsewhere. They do send me a regular statement recapping my RX history so they should know I simply switched pharmacies – it is reflected in their paperwork the Rx was filled each month. It all seemed to be a little “Big Brother” to me…we are watching you and keeping track of your actions. It felt creepy to me. It may have been different if I had dementia and didn’t know what I was doing, but then the calls and letters likely would not have had much impact at that point.

Just my experience and thoughts – others may view it as a nice service. But still….5 times the cost of Wal-Mart! The “preferred’ vendor is not preferred by me! I use Wal-mart & Costco and am very happy with both.