COSTCO Best Prices on Prescription Medications

COSTCO Provides the BEST PRICES on Prescription Medicine

I am fortunate that I take very little in the way of prescription medicines. I have been a vegetarian for years and believe in natural remedies. I drink plenty of water, get plenty of sleep, practice yoga, engage in work I love, and have practiced my own form of meditation/prayer for 30 years. I am surrounded by loving friends and tickled daily by a fur-family of four. Just to be sure, I take numerous supplements each day. There is one little medical pill, however, that I take religiously and in the past has cost approximately $150 per month.

Recently, at the Costco Pharmacy where I have shopped for eons, the total cost for the same medicine came to just under $15. I smiled broadly and said, "Ahhhh, that I wish it were true, however, there must be a mistake and I would hate for you to be blamed for it at the end of the day . . ." The cashier smiled even more broadly and informed me that many prescription drugs that had been reduced drastically!

This lovely, unexpected surprise made me wonder how much it actually COST for the active ingredient in my prescription medication!? Previously, I thought it must be a lot, since my prescription had long cost more than $3.00 per daily pill. Don't get me wrong, I am a born and bred capitalist! But my social conscience limits my profits so something that resembles reasonable! Alas, the drug companies do not feel the same way!!

Life Extension did a search of offshore chemical synthesizing companies that supply many of the active ingredients found in drugs approved by the FDA for drugs sold in the United States.

Many of the active ingredients (listed below) are made in other countries.

CELEBREX: 100 mg

Consumer price (100 tablets): $130.27

Cost of general active ingredients: $ 0.60

Percent markup: 21,712%

CLARITIN: 10 mg

Consumer Price (100 tablets): $215.17

Cost of general active ingredients: $0.71

Percent markup: 30,306%

KEFLEX: 250 mg

Consumer Price (100 tablets): $157.39

Cost of general active ingredients: $1.88

Percent markup: 8,372%

LIPITOR: 20 mg

Consumer Price (100 tablets): $272.37

Cost of general active ingredients: $5.80

Percent markup: 4,696%

PAXIL: 20 mg

Consumer price (100 tablets): $220.27

Cost of general active ing! redients: $7.60

Percent markup: 2,898%

PREVACID: 30 mg

Consumer price (100 tablets): $44.77

Cost of general active ingredients: $1.01

Percent markup: 34,136%

PRILOSEC: 20 mg

Consumer price (100 tablets): $360.97

Cost of general active ingredients $0.52

Percent markup: 69,417%

PROZAC: 20 mg

Consumer price (100 tablets) : $247.47

Cost of general active ingredients: $0.11

Percent markup: 224,973%

TENORMIN: 50 mg

Consumer price (100 tablets): $104.47

Cost of general active ingredients: $0.13

Percent markup: 80,362%

VASOTEC: 10 mg

Consumer price (100 tablets): $102.37

Cost of general active ingredients: $0.20

Percent markup: 51,185%

XANAX: 10 mg

Consumer price (100 tablets) : $136.79

Cost of general active ingredients: $0.024

Percent markup: 569,958%

ZESTRIL: 20 mg

Consumer price (100 tablets) $89.89

Cost of general active ingredients $3.20

Percent markup: 2,809%

ZITHROMAX: 600 mg

Consumer price (100 tablets): $1,482.19

Cost of general active ingredients: $18.78

Percent markup: 7,892%

ZOCOR: B 40 mg

Consumer price (100 tablets): $350.27

Cost of general active ingredients: $8.63

Percent markup: 4,059%

ZOLOFT: 50 mg

Consumer price: $206.87 (90 tablets)

Cost of general active ingredients: $1.75

Percent markup: 11,821%

Although Costco is a Members-Only store, you do NOT have to be a member to buy prescriptions there (or alcohol or eye glasses) as those items are federally regulated. Just tell one of the Costco Representatives at the door that you wish to use the pharmacy (or purchase alcohol or eyeglasses) and they will assign you a "chaperon" while you are in the store to do your business. If you are NOT a member, Costco will not take checks nor credit cards so have cash on hand!

I understand that WalMart is starting a new policy where many generic drugs will be sold for $4.00 per prescription in many states very soon. It pays to be "informed consumers."

http://www.lef.org (Life Extension)

http://www.snopes.com/medical/drugs/generic.asp (Snopes)

http://www.costco.com/pharmacy (Costco)

A Special Thank You to the Following Major Contributors:

Professor Eric Salin, Department of Chemistry, McGill University

Dr. and Mrs. Ruth Salin, Retired

Sharon L. Davis, Budget Analyst, U.S. Department of Commerce