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Why Costco is Better for Your Prescriptions

iLander

iLander

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 23, 2010
Messages
6,731
Costco prescriptions are cheaper. Waaaaaaaaayyy cheaper.

For some reason, I used to think there was a limit to how much CVS, Walgreens, etc., could charge for an Rx. There is not. They can charge whatever they like, period.

I thought that the insurance company had some say over prices. They do not. Insurance may cover a portion, but what the drugstore charges above that coverage is not limited.

Recently I had an Rx filled for simple high-strength hydrocortisone cream. $24 at Walgreens. That seemed a bit high to me. I called Costco and asked them to tell me how much they would charge, and read them all the specs from my Walgreens tube. They said $4.

$4! :dance::clap::wavey:

Needless to say, I told them I'd like all my scripts transferred. They asked for the Walgreens store phone number, the one I go to. That was it. I got a voicemail a couple of weeks later, saying my $4 refill was ready. I could write a book about how lousy Walgreens customer service is, but that's not the point today. They were just always an ordeal. :x

I have a prescription which my insurance does not cover. Costco has a prescription program for that. You just fill in a quick form, and they reduce the price of that particular Rx to the point where it's as if my insurance did cover it. Simple as that.

I also used them for my dog's medications, and because she's a dog, and does not have health insurance, :lol: she is covered under their prescription program. So her vet scripts were the cheapest I had seen anywhere, including on line.

So, I've always been a Costco fan, as you guys know, but this just made me love them more. So I suggest you at least call and get a quote from them, you might be surprised. :dance:
 
Walgreens is always expensive. Glad you are making the switch!
 
When my mother got sick after her stroke, she had to be on a lot of meds.

I could not believe the differences in prices at various pharmacies. Walgreens was the most expensive and CVS was not far behind.

Phred's Drugs, which is probably local, saved me hundreds of dollars each month. And that made a big difference especially when she went into the donut hole.
 
There is no Costco near where my father lives, but there is a Walmart... and that has made a big difference in drug costs for my father (and my mother, when she was alive, especially when it came to chemo drugs). It also made a difference for me... I had forgotten to pack my cat's thyroid meds at one point when I was traveling there her. Her vet's office graciously agreed to call in a prescription to the local Walmart. Normally when they do that they call in a prescription for 10 tabs, but this time they called in script for a full bottle of 100 tablets, which is how I normally buy it from the vet. Oh my goodness - I think I paid less than 1/3 what I normally paid for this medication at the vet's office!

Another tip is to talk to the prescribing doctor about less expensive alternatives. My father was using one eye drop (for glaucoma) that was costing about $90 per little tiny bottle even at Walmart, with his insurance. I checked on-line and wasn't able to find a significantly less expensive supplier, even when I considered buying overseas. So I talked to the optometrist. It turned out the unique, patented aspect of the medication was the carrier (a gel formula), not the active ingredients. So he prescribed simpler formulation and we're able to get a generic version that's working... for $4 per month.
 
I take a generic medication and use to pay a $100 co-pay at Walgreens for 90 days. Did this for years. Then on a whim I asked when I was at Costco the price without insurance: $27 for 90 days! Now I have it filled at Costco without insurance. I think that's insane that Walgreens was ripping me off for so long. BTW at Walgreens, they would have charged $288 without insurance for 90 days.
 
Wow than you for sharing this info with us iLander! I am totally going to check out how much my prescription med would cost at Costco. It would be awesome if I could save money on it. Thank you so much for letting us know. I have been a Costco fan for decades now and I am so glad they are still helping so many. They rock!
 
Thanks for sharing. I had no idea! Like you - I just thought the price was fixed or at least capped.

I take Claritin and Cingulair for allergies. I complained aloud to the pharmacist about how much Claritin costs even with the always available coupon. He told me that my doc could write a prescription even though it's over the counter. And, with a prescription it would be cheaper.
 
We always used Costco for our dogs' prescriptions because they were significantly cheaper (and we did not have insurance for them). What's more is that Costco could get medications that other pharmacies couldn't. Byron needed a chemo med that was on very short supply due to extremely limited production (it was produced in Italy). Costco was the only pharmacy that could get it--even our vet couldn't get his hands on it. He had no idea how they were getting it, but I was certainly glad they could. The supply issue only lasted 4 months, but I was thankful to have it!

ETA: we pay out of pocket for scripts until we hit our deductible, so I often use goodrx.com for coupons. A few months ago DH needed a prescription hand cream that was $200 per tube. Goodrx.com had a coupon for the same cream for $10. We just filled it through Wal-Mart. Downside is that it doesn't count toward my deductible, but still worth it!
 
NEL, I've used goodrx.com in the recent past as well. Saved me a TON of money when I was still uninsured. There is no Costco in my area, and I have only ever used a Kroger for prescriptions (which thankfully have been few and far between.) Kroger's $4 for most things as well.
 
Puppmom said:
Thanks for sharing. I had no idea! Like you - I just thought the price was fixed or at least capped.

I take Claritin and Cingulair for allergies. I complained aloud to the pharmacist about how much Claritin costs even with the always available coupon. He told me that my doc could write a prescription even though it's over the counter. And, with a prescription it would be cheaper.
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Costco's generic in house brand Loratadine is so cheap that I give them away by the handfulls lolol!
 
VRBeauty said:
There is no Costco near where my father lives, but there is a Walmart... and that has made a big difference in drug costs for my father (and my mother, when she was alive, especially when it came to chemo drugs). It also made a difference for me... I had forgotten to pack my cat's thyroid meds at one point when I was traveling there her. Her vet's office graciously agreed to call in a prescription to the local Walmart. Normally when they do that they call in a prescription for 10 tabs, but this time they called in script for a full bottle of 100 tablets, which is how I normally buy it from the vet. Oh my goodness - I think I paid less than 1/3 what I normally paid for this medication at the vet's office!

Another tip is to talk to the prescribing doctor about less expensive alternatives. My father was using one eye drop (for glaucoma) that was costing about $90 per little tiny bottle even at Walmart, with his insurance. I checked on-line and wasn't able to find a significantly less expensive supplier, even when I considered buying overseas. So I talked to the optometrist. It turned out the unique, patented aspect of the medication was the carrier (a gel formula), not the active ingredients. So he prescribed simpler formulation and we're able to get a generic version that's working... for $4 per month.
Click to expand...
This is very helpful, thank you!
 
asscherisme said:
I take a generic medication and use to pay a $100 co-pay at Walgreens for 90 days. Did this for years. Then on a whim I asked when I was at Costco the price without insurance: $27 for 90 days! Now I have it filled at Costco without insurance. I think that's insane that Walgreens was ripping me off for so long. BTW at Walgreens, they would have charged $288 without insurance for 90 days.
Click to expand...

Did you ask about the Costco Prescription Drug program? It might be even cheaper!

Awesome that you were able to save to much! :appl::appl:
 
I remember being in line at Walgreens and I overheard the man in front of me paying $2400 for a prescription! He was stunned and unhappy. But he needed it to live. It made me sad.

I wish I had known about Costco's Rx back then, I would have taken him aside and told him about Costco. I still feel guilty, somehow, that I couldn't help him. :blackeye:
 
Costco is mostly better, but not for all drugs. There is a site, goodrx.com, where one can check the price for 30 pills of a certain dose of a medication and compare the costs in his neighborhood companies. Usually Safeway and QFC are the best in my area, and Walgreens and Rite-Aid are the worst ones. Costco is mentioned under "warehouse pharmacy", and is usually in the middle, after Fred Meyer. Once you figure out who sells at better prices, you print out the voucher from the site. If you buy many medications, you may wish to run them through GoodRX - There is no consistency in prices, but the difference between pharmacies is shocking.
 
LOL I put my med into the goodrx.com and the cheapest price was over $400. OMG I hope the manufacturer doesn't stop offering the savings card program.:pray: I have yet to check out Costco however and I will report back once I do!
 
Missy, it means that you are probably on brand name drugs. Brand names do not follow the usual rule because the manufacturers keep the costs high. Between the pharmacies, the drug companies and the insurance companies, it all bites. It is sad because compliance is tied to side effects, and some of the costly ones are much better in this department.
 
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