I saw a patient today with no drug insurance today who needed a cream for skin lesions. His pharmacy quoted him a price of $297. I had told him about GoodRx and he went to their website. The price there varied between $103 and $214. He wound up getting it for $154 at Walmart.
There are two websites that can help patients without drug coverage save significant sums on generic medications.
We wrote about Good Rx in 2013. The new kid on the block is BlinkHealth.
For more background on these see “Entrepreneurs Pull Back Curtain on Drug Prices” (NY Times, February 9, 2016).
Excerpts:
A few entrepreneurs are aiming to fundamentally change the way people buy drugs, bringing the industry into the digital age by disclosing the lowest prices for generic prescriptions to allow comparison-shopping.
The spotlight on drug prices could not come at a better time for at least two online ventures. One company, GoodRx, collects drug prices at pharmacies around the country and connects consumers to coupons to help them pay. Another, Blink Health, takes the process a step further by allowing customers to pay for their drugs online, then pick up the prescription at nearly any pharmacy.
Many uninsured consumers do not know that the price pharmacies charge them is far higher than the rate that insurers pay the pharmacies for the same drug, health care experts said. And even insured customers are not always getting the best deal. Many people have insurance plans that require them to pay a flat rate of $10 or higher for generic drugs, even though the rate the insurers pay the pharmacy is often less.
Becoming familiar with GoodRx and BlinkHealth can save you, a family member or BFF a considerable amount on generic prescriptions. If you need a drug that presents a significant expense, it would be wise to check both of these sites for the cheapest price.