Inside Mesa

I received one of those circulating emails today about prescriptions costs and wondered first, is this true? If you know about….Snopes.com web site you’re aware they investigate emails to find if they are true or false. This one is true.An original report was generated by Investigative Reporter Steve Wilson, I believe from Michigan, in 2002. The article highlights the actual cost of a drug present per doseage against what pharmacies charge the customer. The report states it is actually the pharmacy that sets the price for the customer pays, not the drug companies. Examples were shown where a discrepancy from about 3000% to over 131,000% charged over the basic cost of the actual drug.Costco was also mentioned as a pharmacy that keep their prescription prices much lower; the customer benefits by paying a more reasonable charge.Most know Costco is a membership store, however, the pharmacy is federally regulated and anyone can enter the store by telling the entry check-in person you are going to the pharmacy.The report also encouraged everyone to check around at different pharmacies to see where you can get the best price.I thought there might be those interested in the information if your health insurance doesn’t give you an adequate benefit. Mine does - I pay anywhere from $7 to $14 for a 3 month supply of generic drugs, through mail-order with free postage. The service usually has delivery within a week, the key is to know when to order. Name brands are higher which is a set price, I suppose determined by the drug companies with FDA approval. When I’ve needed to get a prescription right away I always use Costco which my health insurance allows, providing me a discount rate.