Community Chat

[Q4u]

DH has one cream (he has Psorisis) that the insurance companies won't even cover (we've had several insurance companies since we left Kaiser). It's absolutely necessary to keep the problem at bay.  He buys it once a year ($1800!) and it was recommended to him through Kaiser when we had it years ago... Kaiser charged him around $50 for it! Unbelievable, isn't it?   

[Annabellethecat66]

I have to shop at CVS because I take a medication (generic) and where they buy their medicine from my body is used to it.

I've gone other places and almost ended up in the hospital.  My Dr had to re-write the prescription and I had to turn in the unused pills.  Then I had to go back to the CVS.

Generic is not all the same.  It doesn't have to be the same.  What works for one person might not for another.  I agree people should shop around.

I have to keep my same insurance for medicine because no other insurance company covers this medication.  

I've always known CVS is one of the most expensive.  I think CVS is mainly located on the East coast because my daughter lives in Colorado and she said there isn't a CVS there.

[cherry]

I will never deal with express scripts  again. I stopped taking my statins because I had bad muscle problems with them

Their pharmacists called me a few weeks later, and gave me a huge lecture. because I did this. My dr knew and was Ok with it. I told him this. They guy was rude, I should have hung up on him. It was none of his business

I go to Walgreens and am satisified

[DiAnne]

I switched to Costco several years ago.  Their prices are amazing.  They also have pet prescriptions.  My dog is taking a pill and my vet only charges $4 more than Costco.  

[KingstonsMom]

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@tends2dogs wrote:

@hoosieroriginal  This is SO true.  When my Quincy was alive, he had to take Cipro when his counts were down as a preventive.  The ONCOLOGIST wrote a script and told me to go to Publix, because it would be FREE.  I had to go to Walmart first and I happened to ask the pharmacy there.  They said it wouldn't be free with them and to go to Publix.  I called around for a couple of other RXs and found a big difference in $$.  Take the time to call around.  We could be talking more than a $1 or two.

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@tends2dogs

Just an FYI, many antibiotics and other drugs are free at Publix:

Publix Pharmacy Enhances Free Medication Programs

LAKELAND, Fla., Dec. 1, 2015 — Beginning today, Publix Pharmacies will offer free 90-day supply of metformin, Lisinopril and amlodipine, all currently part of Publix’s free medication programs, to customers with a prescription for the medications. Previously, 30-day supplies of the medications were offered with a prescription. The program enhancement is being made to assist our customers’ medication adherence.

The free medications offered, treatment and dosages include:

• Lisinopril — an ACE inhibitor used to prevent, treat or improve symptoms of high blood pressure, certain heart conditions, diabetes and certain chronic kidney conditions. Maximum of 90-day supply (up to 180 tablets). Lisinopril-HCTZ combination products excluded.
• Metformin — a medication used to treat diabetes. Maximum of 90-day supply of generic immediate-release metformin (up to 360 500-mg tablets, 270 850-mg or 225 1000-mg).
• Amlodipine — a calcium-channel blocker commonly used to treat high blood pressure and angina (chest pain). Maximum of 90-day supply (up to 180 2.5-mg or 5-mg tablets, or 90 10-mg tablets). Amlodipine combination products are excluded.

Publix Pharmacy also offers a 14-day supply of the following generic oral antibiotics free:

• amoxicillin
• ampicillin
• ciprofloxacin (excluding Ciprofloxacin XR)
• penicillin VK and
• sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim (SMZ-TMP)

For more information, please visit www.publix.com/pharmacy.

“The Publix Pharmacy continues to enhance our free medications programs to best serve the needs of our customers,” said Media and Community Relations Director Maria Brous. “With health care and prescription costs continuing to rise, medication adherence may prove challenging. The enhancement to our free prescription programs and pharmacy services allows our customers to focus on staying healthy and achieving their overall wellness goals.”

[tends2dogs]

Thanks @KingstonsMom!  Good to know!

[hennypenny]

@Q4u mr henny has the same thing.  His meds were a fortune. 

I don't know what part of the country you are in, but we are on the West Coast and have a friend who goes to Mexico every few months. He has taken mr henny's perscription to the pharmacy there. He gets the exact same med, from the same Irish factory  for fifty dollars a 30 gram tube. In mexico the med is called Daivodet instead of Dovenex or taclonex (with steroids) If you have anyone that can do this for you it is a huge lifesaver. mr henny doesn't want to take the scary meds.

[Carmie]

My dog takes Gabapentin and I used to get it at Target Pharmacy because it is closest to me.  My DH and I do not take any RX drugs so we don't have a locality to any place.

CVS bought our Target and when I went to get my prescription it went from  $11.56 to a little over $90.  They also would not give me a price match as Target used to do 

I now get Gabapentin for less than $10 at COSTCO.

CVS has a ton of insurance contracts and probably make up for their lower contracted  prices by gouging everyone else.

My dog has insurance and I have to pay upfront and send the receipts in for a 90% reimbursement.  I still try to find a good price to try to keep pet insurance from raising too much.

[Q4u]

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@hennypenny wrote:

@Q4u mr henny has the same thing.  His meds were a fortune. 

I don't know what part of the country you are in, but we are on the West Coast and have a friend who goes to Mexico every few months. He has taken mr henny's perscription to the pharmacy there. He gets the exact same med, from the same Irish factory  for fifty dollars a 30 gram tube. In mexico the med is called Daivodet instead of Dovenex or taclonex (with steroids) If you have anyone that can do this for you it is a huge lifesaver. mr henny doesn't want to take the scary meds.

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We used to live in San Diego and YES.... going over the border to the pharmacies there are a huge savings.  My Dad spoke Spanish and we all used to go over for the day (Tijuana) but times have changed and so has this border town.....  However....  getting the meds from a Canadian pharmacy on-line will save a lot of money and is relatively simple.  Our doctor even recommended it~!

[Q4u]

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@cherry wrote:

I will never deal with express scripts  again. I stopped taking my statins because I had bad muscle problems with them

Their pharmacists called me a few weeks later, and gave me a huge lecture. because I did this. My dr knew and was Ok with it. I told him this. They guy was rude, I should have hung up on him. It was none of his business

I go to Walgreens and am satisified

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That's an unbelievable intrusion~!  Not only did I have a bad muscle reaction I had electric pains running down my legs.  I took them for 18 months and had a reduction in muscle strength (couldn't go up a flight of stairs without stopping and couldn't open a bottle of water)....  I stopped taking them and my strength returned over a course of time but I'd say I only regained about 90% of the strength I had prior to taking statins!