NBC 7 Responds looks for savings at local popular pharmacies
By Dorian Hargrove, Consumer Bob, and Tom Jones
Published Feb 20, 2019
WATCH VIDEO
Americans are paying more than ever for prescription drugs.
According to a new report, in 2017, the average retail cost for a prescription drug in America increased by 8.4 percent that year alone.
With more than 70 percent of Americans currently taking some form of medication during the course of a year, NBC 7 Responds wanted to look at ways Americans can save money on prescriptions.
To find savings, NBC 7 Responds looked for price differences at local pharmacies.
State and federal laws now allow pharmacists to give the base fees or prices of medications out over the phone, allowing customers to shop around for better savings.
To put that to the test, NBC 7 Responds picked five of the most commonly prescribed drugs nationwide and called five popular pharmacy chains throughout San Diego County to check their prices.
Those medications included: Hydrocodone (pain), Levothyroxine (thyroid), Gabapentin (seizures/pain), Atorvastatin (high cholesterol), and Metformin (diabetes).
The pharmacies called were Rite-Aid, CVS, Walgreens, Costco, and Walmart.
Cash prices differed dramatically.
PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO AND READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON NBCSANDIEGO.COM
