The State of Minnesota developed Minnesota RxPrice Compare that allows patients and consumers access to compare usual and customary charges by pharmacies in Minnesota.

The price compare program is not available for all States. However, I encourage all States to develop similar programs and make this information public.

I provide another example comparing the usual and customary prices for one of the most common cholesterol drugs, Simvastatin dispensed in Wisconsin.

The take-home message is the importance of challenging pharmacy pricing of your prescription medications and shedding light on very opaque business practices.

People need to strongly consider the reasons they stay at a particular pharmacy. Convenience may be a common reason, but that will come at a cost. Remember pharmacies are out to make money as any other business. Do not turn off your consumer brain when stepping into a pharmacy. 

People without drug insurance always pay the most money for a prescription drug. People with insurance pay through premiums and copays, coinsurances, deductibles and limited choice.

Comparison price shopping is becoming less important as time goes on because of the generic drug programs offered by large pharmacy chains and retail stores. But, there are still many generic drugs that are not part of these discount programs. Also, some people may not live close enough to one of these pharmacies to make the trip worth their while.

CONDITIONS OF USE: The information above is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your healthcare professional. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug or tablet splitting configuration is safe, appropriate or effective for you. You should consult your healthcare professional before beginning to tablet split any drug, changing, starting or stopping any drug treatment. Remember, tablet splitting is a voluntary activity.

State Medicaid programs use a generic drug pricing concept called Maximum Allowable Cost. Some examples of medicaid program lists are provided to illustrate how low of payment pharmacies are willing to accept from insurers, PBMs and State Medicaid programs. Keep in mind that even the same generic drug will pay differently depending on where in the country the prescription is getting filled.