A Remedy For High Prices:
A Tribune Look At The
Prescription Price War

By STEPHEN McGUIRE, RICHARD SCHACK & JUSTINA WILLIAMS

For many Queens residents, dispensing their own hard earned dollars for high priced medications may be a bitter pill to swallow and some feel the condition is only getting worse. However a Tribune survey this week found that the key to surviving your prescription bills is shopping around for the best price.

In an effort to help readers determine where to find the best buys on some of the most widely prescribed medications, The Trib used the same, five, brand name drugs cited in a recent study by Congressman Joseph Crowley, and shopped around for the best prices.

The Crowley study’s results, released last week, found that individual seniors in his constituency often pay up to 140 percent more for their prescriptions than HMOs – with their group buying power – pay for the same drugs.

THE MEDICATIONS

Using the prescription drugs,

• Zocor, which regulates cholesterol levels;

• Norvasc, a blood pressure medication; Prilosec, used in the treatment of ulcers;

• Procardia XL, a heart medication; and

• Zoloft, which is used in the treatment of depression;

Tribune reporters did some price checking of their own by randomly selecting pharmacies in the areas they cover and comparing prices. (See prescription Price Chart.)

PHARMACY CHAINS

Generally, larger chain pharmacies have the same prices throughout all of their Queens locations.

For example, the CVS pharmacy in Bayside gave us the same price quotes on the five prescriptions as the CVS in Ozone Park.

Because the larger chains sometimes deal with a higher volume of customers, some critics of larger drug stores claim that the "personal" attention that is common in independent pharmacies gets lost in the high traffic shuffle.

IS BIGGER BETTER?

Larger pharmacy chains may be quicker and more convenient when getting a prescription filled but when it comes to price, bigger, in this case, doesn’t necessarily mean better.

The Trib survey found that the chain pharmacy stores Rite-Aid and Genovese quoted some of the highest prices in the borough.

Rite-Aid quoted the highest price for the prescription drugs Zocor and Prilosec. Genovese drug stores quoted the highest prices for Norvasc, Procardia XL and Zoloft.

The Tribune shopping survey showed that smaller, independent, pharmacies offered the best prices on the selected prescription medications. Our survey showed that some of the best savings were found at the following locations :

• Drug Town in Ridgewood which offered the lowest price on Procardia XL

• Three J’s in Elmhurst offered the lowest price for Norvasc

• Family Pharmacy in Astoria offered the lowest price for Zoloft

• Briarwood Pharmacy in Jamaica offered the lowest prices for Zocor and Prilosec

• Garnering an honorable mention is Rocky Hill Pharmacy in Bellerose where the pharmacist said they will beat any price quoted

The Trib survey also found that many independent pharmacies also offer senior discounts.

PRICE POSTING REQUIREMENT

State law requires that all pharmacies display a standard large blue drug price poster near the pharmacy counter. The poster, known as the "Prescription Drug List," contains the current selling price of the "150 most frequently prescribed drugs " in the state together with their "usual dosage."

In New York City this law is enforced by the Dept of Consumer Affairs.

EPIC (Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage) is a state run prescription drug assistance program that assists senior citizens with the cost of prescription drug purchases.

To qualify for the EPIC program, applicants should be at least 65-years-old, a resident of New York State; do not receive Medicaid have an income that does not exceed $17,500 per year if single and $23,000 if married.

There are two EPIC programs available for seniors. The first is a fee program that requires payment of a premium based on income. Subscribers of the fee program receive a 50-60 percent discount on all of their prescription drug purchases.

The second program is the deductible plan which allows for the 50-60 percent discount after spending the amount of the deductible on prescription drug purchases each year.

For more information on the EPIC program, call 1 (800) 332-3742.

Law requires that all pharmacists offer face-to-face counseling service to customers each time they fill a prescription.

Counseling should involve talking about drug safety, side effects, interactions with other drugs and proper storage.

As a customer, you are entitled to refuse the counseling, however the offer must always be made verbally by the pharmacist.

State law also requires pharmacists to maintain patient medication profiles and conduct a prospective drug review before dispensing or delivering a prescription to a customer.

The review should include screening for therapeutic duplication; drug-drug interactions; incorrect dosage or duration of treatment, drug allergy interactions and clinical abuse or misuse.

GENERIC DRUGS

Many companies manufacture drugs of identical chemical composition to that of several brand name drugs.

These are known as the "generic equivalents" of the trade-marked, brand name drugs.

Generic drugs are marketed under the official names given by the United States Food and Drug Administration. (FDA).

Many of the commonly prescribed drugs have generic equivalents, but some drugs are patented, and cannot be manufactured generically.

If you are not sure if a generic exists for your medication, ask your doctor.

GENERICS AND SAVING MONEY

Consumers can save up to 50 percent on some prescription drugs by using low cost generics instead of brand names.

Whenever your doctor prescribes a drug, you may want to ask if a suitable generic alternative is available.

According to the Dept. of Consumer Affairs, Shopping around for generic drugs can result in significant cost savings.

Consumer Affairs officials said that comparison shopping is also important because pharmacists are not requires to give the lowest priced generic drug available, only one that is less expensive than the brand name.

The blue, "Commonly Used Drug" poster on display at your pharmacy should list the generic equivalents to most brand name drugs.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

The difference is that brand name drugs and their generic equivalents may look or taste different because the companies that make them use different colors, shapes and flavors in the manufacturing process.

However, the drugs act the same way in your body, according to the Dept. of Consumer Affairs.

If the look or taste of a new or generic drug concerns you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

If you feel that your pharmacist does not follow your doctor’s orders, does not offer counseling, or fails to maintain your medication profile, you can write or call :

The New York State Education Dept.
Office of Professional Discipline
1 Park Ave. 6th Floor
New York, NY 10016
212-951-6400.

If the blue price poster is missing or your pharmacy does not honor the prices listed on it, you can write or call:

The New York City Dept. of Consumer Affairs
Att: Consumer Services Division
42 Broadway
New York, NY 10004
212-487-4444

or on the web at www.ci.nyc.ny.us/consumers