How is this legal?

[J.P.]

Another option in case it wasn't mentioned is using a mail order discount RX site.
Somebody I know gets their 'scripts filled this way and doing so saves them over $1000 each month!
Now, I don't know the name of that particular site but IIRC it is based in Missouri.
The person I know sends their scripts to the company, pays with a credit card, and recieves the meds via FedEx 1 or 2 day.
As I said the savings is over $1000 vs any of the local Tulsa pharmacies.

 

[vvvvvvv]

I spent a couple of years as a pharmacy tech at an independent pharmacy. $10 profit for generic prescriptions paid in cash and $15 for name brands was standard practice for us. When we sent prescriptions through for insurance the computer sent in the request for some ridiculously huge number based off some calculations even the pharmacist admitted he didn't fully understand. My guess is that Walgreens is probably charging everybody based those calculations used to charge insurance companies.

Those "calculations" are based on an agreement between the insurer and pharmaceutical company. Big Pharma gets more dollars in their pockets, and Big Insurance gets to claim that they "covered" you from paying $XXXX.

There's a reason those two industries were among the biggest supporters of Obamacare.

 

[MLRyan]

So I am inbetween health insurance, one month without it....and I needed a prescription filled, well Walgreens wanted $116 for 10 of my prescription, Then out of nowhere my friend whos parents own Windsor Park Pharmacy said I should go there, as they dont screw you, well long story short I got 30 of my script for $14.33!!! That means walgreens is marking up drugs 700%, please someone inform me how that is legal? Price fixing much? The pharmacist at windsor stated my script cost $4 per 30 at his cost, and walgreens is assured to get it even cheaper than that, how is this not price fixing? Who gave them the right to grossly profit off other peoples sickness? Serious question, I understand capitalism, but if you are ok with people being charged 700% markup on something that costs pennies per pill you are sick in the head.

And no Windsor park does not subsidize anything, they just dont believe in profiting off of others misfortune, and guess what, they still profited $10 on my script alone, $10 profit off $4 is an amazing ROI, how is that not enough for mega corp Walgreens?

Go to a different pharmacy. They are only able to do that stuff because people go to the store in the first place. It's like, we all know Apple sucks, but we still buy Apple products because it's what we've been programmed to do.

 

[vvvvvvv]

Go to a different pharmacy. They are only able to do that stuff because people go to the store in the first place. It's like, we all know Apple sucks, but we still buy Apple products because it's what we've been programmed to do.

I must have missed the firmware downgrade.

 

[Dave70968]

how is this not price fixing?

The fact that you're asking the question proves that you don't even know what the term means. "Price fixing" is when (nominal) competitors agree to "fix" the price amongst themselves. Since you found such a substantial difference between competitors, that's proof that they are not price fixing.

Please leave economics to people who actually know what the hell they're talking about.

Who gave them the right to grossly profit off other peoples sickness? Serious question, I understand capitalism, but if you are ok with people being charged 700% markup on something that costs pennies per pill you are sick in the head.

"Who gave them the right?" Do you envision a board of government agents somewhere determining what the permissible price is? You say you understand capitalism, but your question again betrays the fact that no, you really don't. Sellers free to charge as they will, and buyers are free to buy or not, as they like.

 

[okietool]

You just confessed to multiple felonies. As far as the DEA is concerned, this would make you a distributor, just like the guy down on the corner pushing meth or crack.

Sorry I just couldn't hold it back.

 

[LightningCrash]

Oh lord, a Mac PC owner complaining about markup.

 

[TSgt Twitch]

For those swearing that alldaychemist is breaking the law etc etc.. Unless it is a controlled substance based on categories identified by the FDA then you do not have to have a prescription to be in possession of it. Since the box is pretty obvious whats in it generally the post master will general inspect and re-seal with a tape showing it was opened/inspected at the post office. If there is something in there that is "questionable" the post master confiscates it. There are several in the "prepper" community that buy antibiotics such as cipro and keflex, inhalers, heart meds, etc. for years with not even one anecdotal case of arrests/charges coming that i know of. As far as the "source" goes many of our doctors are imported from india, so why not the meds.

 

[dru]

So I am inbetween health insurance, one month without it....and I needed a prescription filled, well Walgreens wanted $116 for 10 of my prescription, Then out of nowhere my friend whos parents own Windsor Park Pharmacy said I should go there, as they dont screw you, well long story short I got 30 of my script for $14.33!!! That means walgreens is marking up drugs 700%, please someone inform me how that is legal? Price fixing much? The pharmacist at windsor stated my script cost $4 per 30 at his cost, and walgreens is assured to get it even cheaper than that, how is this not price fixing? Who gave them the right to grossly profit off other peoples sickness? Serious question, I understand capitalism, but if you are ok with people being charged 700% markup on something that costs pennies per pill you are sick in the head.

And no Windsor park does not subsidize anything, they just dont believe in profiting off of others misfortune, and guess what, they still profited $10 on my script alone, $10 profit off $4 is an amazing ROI, how is that not enough for mega corp Walgreens?

just because a pharmacy has an insane (and I would agree that 700% is firmly within "insane" territory) doesn't mean that it is price fixing and therefore illegal. i wouldn't even call it immoral unless it can be shown that Walgreens is colluding with CVS, wal-mart, target, etc. to keep prices high. honestly, this is just a case of a vendor being able to charge what they want and betting on the fact that people will pay it because A.) they don't know the upfront cost, and B.) they don't really care anyway since most insurance plans will pick up the cost.

I have long advocated for price transparency so that you will know what you will pay for a prescription before you actually have it filled. it would allow for price comparison shopping especially since drug A from store X is pretty much always to be the same quality and effectiveness as drug A from store Y.

I'm glad you were able to find a more reasonably priced option. The price disparity between the two shows just how much you (and your insurance) are being taken advantage of by walgreens. hopefully you will continue to use this hometown pharmacy a little more since they apparently treat you so much better

 

[Brandi]

Walgreens is the WORST!! I can't count the times I've gone to pick up a prescription at Walgreens and got massive sticker shock. The last straw was a nausea med that Walgreens wanted over $300 for a 20 count so I said "no way" and went across the street to CVS and got it for $280 less. I couldn't believe they had the Med marked up $280!!! That was the last time I've used Walgreens unless they were the only ones in town with a script I needed.

As for buying meds without a prescription from India or Africa or Lichtenstein it is illegal. Controlled substances are usually what you'll read about as being illegal but anything requiring a prescription in the US cannot be purchased outside the country legally without a prescription. That being said the pharmaceutical companies are raping American citizens and it's pretty hard to blame someone who can't afford their meds legally from doing what they have to to stay healthy or in more extreme cases just to stay alive. You always hear people say we don't need to change the system because anyone who really needs healthcare can get it from existing programs but that's b.s.. Don't believe me? Next time you have a serious medical problem quit your job (if you are employed that figures into how much a "program" is allowed to help you), empty your bank account (that too figures into it), give up all your insurance, get rid of your valuable assets such as a boat or an ATV (their value also figures into the deal) and THEN try to get the healthcare you need, it ain't gonna happen. Sure maybe twice a year a traveling doc in a box will set up for a weekend but that's a couple times a year and they can only do the basics. Or you can try to qualify for one of the programs that everyone loves to use as an example but guess what? They are only allocated a certain amount of money and it's used up within the first three months of the year. After that, assuming you were one of the few lucky ones to be accepted in the first place, you are back to using the ER for your basic healthcare and all the people who used to be your friends and fellow "that's crap, the system works just fine, the poor can get their healthcare from government programs." believers will be cussing you for complaining about the healthcare system.

Personally I wouldn't buy that stuff from India unless I had to. The quality is a crapshoot. I've seen documentaries where they bought meds from one manufacturer and it was all good then bought from another and it not only didn't contain the listed ingredients but it had stuff in it they couldn't even identify. You just never know...