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HOUSTON -- As the doors to the pharmacy slide open, the dreaded walk
begins. There is a choice to be made. Groceries? The light bill? Or the
vital medicine this person needs?
Dr. Cyril Wolf, a family practitioner in Houston, knows this scenario
has played out countless times: "I had a patient who came in. I said
your blood pressure is high. Your sugar is high. Why haven't you been
in? She said because she lost her job and couldn't afford the
medication."
That was yet another of Dr. Wolf's patients who chose not to finish that
walk to the pharmacy. There have been many others. Kathy Frank couldn't
afford to be one of them.
"It is very important." She says. "I probably will be on it for the rest
of my life."
Frank has a prescription drug she can't do without. But she's also one
of the nearly nine million people who lost jobs this year, and there
went her insurance. So she started going online, searching Canadian
websites, thinking they would yield affordable medicine. But her doctor
had another idea...
"My doctor told me to try Costco."
Normally, physicians just prescribe. But Dr. Wolf did something more.
"I checked with Costco and Walgreens and the price difference was so
astounding that I thought to myself this can't be true" he said, sitting
in his office.
The physician started sleuthing, calling Walgreens, Eckerd Drugs, CVS,
Sam's Club and Costco... asking each pharmacy its price for several
popular generic drugs. What did he find when he asked about
anti-depressants, anti-hypertensives, antibiotics?
"I was amazed." He says. "I just could not believe this."
Walgreens, Eckerd and CVS charged the most every time. Sam's Club was
dramatically less and Costco was the cheapest of all.
Dr. Wolf said, "We're not talking about a couple of dollars. We're
talking about anything from 50% to 80% less."
90 tablets of generic Prozac cost $117 at Walgreens, $115 at Eckerd and
CVS but $15 at Sam's Club and $12 at Costco. That's $105 difference from
top to bottom.
What about Metformin, a popular generic for diabetes? 180 pills are $110
at Walgreens, $106 at Eckerds, $113 at CVS, but $37 at Sam's Club and
$33 at Costco. That's an $80 span.
These aren't flukes. 11 News Defenders checked prices for eight common
generic drugs and the same pattern emerged, the same double, triple and
quadruple prices.
Albuterol for asthma, $27 at Walgreens, $8 at Sam's. Zestril for blood
pressure, $71 at CVS, $16 at Costco.
We're used to hearing about the sky-high cost of drugs. But the focus
has been on the pharmaceutical industry, not the pharmacies themselves.
Yet pharmacies set their own prices on generic drugs. So if you're one
of millions of uninsured Americans, this is your news flash: It's time
to comparison-shop for drugs.
CVS Pharmacy defends its prices by pointing to its drive throughs,
24-hour stores and customer service. Their spokesperson says shopping
there is not just about price.
Or is it? asks Dr. Wolf. "There's a lot more profit and it needs to be
exposed."
The chains say they push generics because it means savings for you, but
a Walgreens spokesman admits that's where they make their money, not
with the brand-name drugs. Eckerd, like many pharmacies, engages in the
practice of sending letters to physicians, recommending they switch
consumers to generic versions of drugs.
Dr. Wolf refuses. "The chains are taking advantage of the public." He
says "Unless Costco is selling an inferior drug, which I don't think the
government would allow, it appears that the chains are selling the drugs
for far more than they should."
Whenever Kathy Frank gets another job and gets insurance again, she says
she'll probably keep paying full price for her prescription through
Costco. Why would she do that? Because the Costco price is cheaper than
a co-pay. "Why would I want to go through my insurance plan and pay $30,
when I could just pay $23?"
Another news flash. You don't need to be a member of Costco or Sam's
Club to use their pharmacies.
Walgreens says its drugs are not overpriced, and as proof, says its
pharmacies make just a two percent profit. Eckerds told us its prices
are competitive if you look at all their drugs. Plus, Eckerds will match
competitor prices.
Costco told us it usually prices generic drugs at ten-percent over cost
and is proud to be so competitive. And, after talking to us, Sam's Club
is dropping its prices to beat Costco!
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