Flu Shot Cost

September 5th, 2010

Flu shots are being offered at more and more pharmacies nationwide this year, and we wanted to give you the breakdown on pricing and availability at the 5 largest chain pharmacy stores to help ease your shopping for this years seasonal flu shot. If you have insurance of any kind that covers the cost of a flu shot, prices will be less and an many cases free of charge.  More and more insurance companies are doing this each year, so be sure to check.  Flexible Spending Account (FSA) money can also be used to cover immunization costs.

CVS-$29.95
Rite-Aid-$24.99
Target-$24.00
Walgreens-$29.99
Walmart-$25.00

Medicare Patients can receive a flu shot at any of these pharmacies, or any other doctors office or pharmacy contracted to bill accordingly at no charge.

In many states, those with Medicaid coverage can also receive a seasonal flu shot for their lowest allowable co-pay, which is typically in the $1-$3 range.

Availability of the flu shot differs by chain and location.  There are special clinic days set up at most stores, and some give flu shots every day.  Walgreens and Target seem to provide the most availability and are advertising flu shots all day, every day that their pharmacy is open.

CVS provides shots by appointment only on select days (a full list can be found online at CVS.com)and daily at their minute clinic locations during normal business hours.

Walmart offers flu shots at select stores on select dates only.  They are providing some information online on their flu shot webpage.

Rite Aid offers limited availability based on what pharmacists are certified to administer vaccines, but claim all pharmacists will be by the end of September.  We suggest calling ahead before making a trip.

If you have any questions regarding this article, please email us at info@rxsavingsllc.com.

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Why 31% of People Never Fill the Prescriptions they are given

August 29th, 2010

There are a variety of contributing factors to discuss with fact that 31% of prescriptions written by doctors and nurses are never filled.  A few of these factors include access to a pharmacy, disbelief in the prescribers prognosis, a false sense that nothing is wrong because they don’t show symptoms, and the cost of the medications themselves.   The highlighted reason for today’s discussion has to do with the costs associated with the medicines.

In 2009, Americans filled 3.68 billion prescriptions.  This is a very large number, but whats most concerning is the additional 1.2 billion prescriptions that weren’t filled.  Non-compliance to the doctors orders is estimated to cost the lives of 125,000 people not to mention almost $300 billion in additional medical costs annually.  These stats are overwhelming to fully comprehend, and the root cause often to blame goes back to affordability of the medication itself.  Often times, people make decisions between medicine and other essential necessities we have come to expect in American society.

When you look at the number of heavily discounted medications on the market today, often times there is an opportunity to save money for the patient and increase compliance. Furthermore, this increases quality of life and reduces the costs associated with complications due to inaction.  Our message today to our readers is to be a proactive consumer and demand more from your healthcare providers in the way of medication costs if they are currently more than you can afford.  Ask your doctor, ask your pharmacist, or ask one of the trained professionals at Rx Savings Solutions.  We’re here to help you live a better life!

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Even Modest Weight Gain Can Harm Blood Vessels, Mayo Researchers Find

August 22nd, 2010

-From Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic researchers found that healthy young people who put on as little as 9 pounds of fat, specifically in the abdomen, are at risk for developing endothelial cell dysfunction. Endothelial cells line the blood vessels and control the ability of the vessels to expand and contract.

“Endothelial dysfunction has long been associated with an increased risk for coronary artery disease and cardiovascular events,” says Virend Somers, M.D., Ph.D., a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic. “Gaining a few pounds in college, on a cruise, or over the holidays is considered harmless, but it can have cardiovascular implications, especially if the weight is gained in the abdomen.”

For the study, which was published in this week’s Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Dr. Somers and his team recruited 43 healthy Mayo Clinic volunteers with a mean age of 29 years. They were tested for endothelial dysfunction by measuring the blood flow through their arm arteries. The volunteers were assigned to either gain weight or maintain their weight for eight weeks, and their blood flow was tested. The weight-gainers then lost the weight and were tested again.

Among those who gained weight in their abdomens (known as visceral fat), even though their blood pressure remained healthy, researchers found that the regulation of blood flow through their arm arteries was impaired due to endothelial dysfunction. Once the volunteers lost the weight, the blood flow recovered. Blood flow regulation was unchanged in the weight-maintainers and was less affected among those who gained weight evenly throughout their bodies.

Dr. Somers says the study is unable to offer conclusions about whether recovery of blood flow is possible if the weight is kept on for several years. “Patients should know that having a big belly may be more harmful than simply being obese,” he says. “Letting weight creep on during college or as the result of aging should not be accepted as normal.

“Physicians should know that the location of fat is important. Greater attention should be given to the circumference of a patient’s waistline, not just their body mass index (BMI).” BMI is a formula that uses height and weight to estimate body fat and associated health risks.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Mayo Clinic co-authors are Diane Davison; Prachi Singh, Ph.D.; Christine Huyber; Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D.; and Michael Jensen, M.D. Co-authors formerly at Mayo Clinic are Abel Romero-Corral, lead author; Fatima Sert-Kuniyoshi, Ph.D.; Justo Sierra-Johnson, M.D., Ph.D.; Marek Orban, M.D.; Apoor Gami, M.D.; Snigdha Pusalavidyasagar, M.B.B.S.; and Susanne Votruba, Ph.D.

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How does that 50% doughnut hole prescription discount work?

August 15th, 2010

From Consumer Reports:

Question When I filled out the Medicare prescription compare plan, I miscalculated my husband’s insulin prescription. Consequently, we reached the doughnut hole within five weeks. In 2011, we are told that we will be paying 50 percent less on name-brand drugs while in the doughnut hole.

Will the full price of the drugs be deducted from $4,550 that the feds require us to pay? Or, will it just be our 50 percent share, meaning we’ll still end up paying $4,550 in the long run? 

Answer Good news for you—it’s the former.

Here’s an explanation from our go-to experts at the Medicare Rights Center.

The 50 percent discount for brand-name drugs that will be applied beginning in 2011 will effectively shrink the $4,550 doughnut hole for you. Both what you pay out of pocket AND the 50 percent discount will count toward the $4,550.

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Flu Shots are Here! The New Info You Need to Know!

August 8th, 2010

By: The Rx Savings Solutions Team

Over the past week, millions of doses of this year’s seasonal flu vaccine began showing up in hospitals and pharmacies throughout the U.S.  This year’s vaccine has a cocktail of different influenza strains that are covered, including H1N1.  They have been combined to ease administration and accessibility for citizens through one injection.

Several new guidelines have also been changed this year, including the recommendation for all children over 6 months of age to receive the vaccine, those aged 6 months to 8 years should receive 2 doses of the vaccine, and approval to administer the vaccine earlier than ever before.

When to get a flu shot has been a topic debated (and subsequently) changed often recently.  In past years, as recently as 2008, the Center for Disease Control recommended being vaccinated after October 1st to have the best immunity throughout the duration of the flu season.  This past year in 2009, that recommendation changed (correlating with the surge in interest with the H1N1 epidemic and earlier availability) and administration of vaccine was allowed to begin as early as September 1st.  In yet another effort to make vaccine more readily available and encourage more people to receive the vaccine, it is now encouraged to be obtained as soon as it becomes available, which is now.

Initial pricing obtained by Rx Savings Solutions showed most pricing in the $20-$30 range, and more insurances than ever before covering the vaccine to some degree.  If you have insurance, be sure to check to see if this product is covered.  If you’re a cash paying customer, check back with us in the next few weeks to get a complete listing of flu shot costs at the major retail pharmacies.

For more information, visit the CDC’s webpage dedicated to this topic.   http://www.cdc.gov/flu

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Hands-only CPR as effective as traditional, studies show

August 1st, 2010

–This weeks blog post is an excerpt taken from an CNN article published July 28th, 2010.  The new information could save the life of a friend or loved one.

(CNN) — You’re in a restaurant, or at an airport, or on a crowded street. The man or woman next to you crumples to the ground. Do you know what to do? Anyone trained in CPR knows the first step: Check for breathing, and check for a pulse. If there’s no heartbeat — what then?

That question has been the subject of intense debate, especially since 2008 when the American Heart Association said that bystanders could try and keep a cardiac arrest victim alive just by pressing on the chest in a hard, quick rhythm. How fast? The exact pace of the Bee Gees’ “Staying Alive.”

A big part of the thinking is that people are more likely to attempt resuscitation if they don’t have to perform rescue breaths, also known as mouth-to-mouth. An unresolved question has been whether chest-compression-only CPR, sometimes known as CCR, is truly just as good as the original. Two large studies published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine seem to provide an answer: yes.

The two papers are remarkably similar in design and results. One was conducted in Washington state — mostly the Seattle suburbs — and in London, England. The other study was done in Sweden. In both cases, patients whose hearts had stopped received either traditional CPR, or a version with chest-compressions only. The patients were divided randomly, with 911 dispatchers giving instructions to callers who performed the CPR.

In the Seattle-London experiment, patients receiving chest compressions without mouth-to-mouth were more likely to survive without brain damage. In both experiments, patients getting chest-compressions only were more likely to survive, period.

To read the full article, visit the CNN Health Page.

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Is “natural” sugar better for you than added sugar?

July 25th, 2010

–from Consumer Reports Health Blog

If you mean the sugar that occurs naturally in fruits, dairy products, and other foods, then yes. That’s not because it’s inherently healthier but simply because it comes with all the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients those foods contain.

But brown or raw sugar is just as nutritionally bereft—and has just as many calories—as white sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. “Organic” sugar is made from sugar cane or beets that are grown without chemical fertilizers or synthetic pesticides, which probably poses less of a threat to the environment. But it’s doubtful if that translates directly into significant health benefits. Honey and maple syrup may taste great but they contain few if any nutrients. Blackstrap molasses does have some calcium and iron, but also has a strong, distinctive flavor.

So choose your sugar based on flavor, texture, recipe, and perhaps your politics. But don’t expect the decision to have much impact on your health.

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Tylenol, to much is a dangerous thing

July 18th, 2010

by: Michael Rea, PharmD

Tylenol (generic name: acetaminophen) is regarded by healthcare professionals all over the world as a safe over the counter drug to use for most people.  It is one of the few drugs given an “A” rating for pregnant and lactating women, is recommended for everything from aches and pains to fever, and is used in age ranges from newborns to those 100+ years old.  So what could possibly make this drug dangerous?

Like most medications, to much of something can be a bad thing.  It is a more and more common reality, especially for those people taking painkillers.  In one recent case, the end result was the loss of life.

Tylenol, or acetaminophen, is one of, if not the most common drug used by society today.  It is available over the counter, and is also in a slew of different prescription pain medications as a secondary ingredient.  The problem arises when a person takes to much of the drug, typically from several different sources.  For most people, this amount is 4,000mg per day depending on age, health factors, and liver function.  By going over this amount, the body is taxed heavily, especially the liver.  Ultimately this can lead to acute liver failure, and even death.

In a recent case, a senior citizen with minor aches and pain was taking tylenol over the counter at a rate of 650mg per dose and up to 4 doses per day. When they went in to the surgical suite for a minor surgery, they were discharged with Vicodin (vicodin has 5 mg of hydrocodone and 500mg of acetaminophen per pill) 5/500 up to 8 tablets daily.  The final blow came when due to the uncontrolled pain from the surgery, and ER visit put the on another combination medication with 325mg of tylenol up to 4 times daily.  This adds up to 7,900 mg of tylenol in 24 hours!

In this particular case, both the doctor and pharmacist were found liable and should have caught the problem prior to the deadly outcome.  It is also important to watch your medication list and beware of any duplicates.  Be alert to what you’re on, keep a list, and ask lots of questions.  Be your own advocate and protect yourself today!

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Sleep woes linked to middle aged pudge

July 11th, 2010

-An article from Reuters

Women, try not to think of this if you lie awake at night: having trouble sleeping means you’re likely to gain weight.

As if simply getting older weren’t hard enough, new research shows that middle-aged and older women who have trouble falling or staying asleep may pack on more pounds than their well-rested contemporaries.

A number of studies have found that sleep-deprived children and adults are more likely to be overweight than those who usually get a full night’s rest. But many of those studies assessed people at one point in time, so it was hard to know which came first, the sleep problems or the excess pounds.

A few studies have followed people over time, but they’ve disagreed about whether poor sleep is linked to expanding waistlines.

The new findings, reported in the International Journal of Obesity, strengthen the evidence that sleep problems are related to weight gain. In this case, the study design allowed the researchers to show that sleep problems came before substantial weight gain in some participants.

Finnish researchers followed more than 7,300 40- to 60-year-old adults for seven years. They found that women who reported significant sleep problems at the outset generally put on more weight over time than women who slept well.

Roughly one-third of women with frequent sleep problems gained at least 11 pounds, versus about a fifth of women with no sleep difficulties at the outset.

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Should You take a cholesterol lowering Statin drug, even if you don’t have high cholesterol?

July 4th, 2010

Recently, the use of “statin” drugs, the class of medications used primarily to reduce cholesterol levels, have been gaining positive attention for some other desirable health outcomes.  We have heard benefits on everything from increased lung function in asthma patients to lowering your chance for heart attack. This weeks article from Consumer Reports poses a good question, should you take a statin even if you don’t have high cholesterol? Read more below.

Earlier this year the Food and Drug Administration approved rosuvastatin (Crestor), a drug usually used to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, for use even in some people who have normal LDL levels. Why? Because it turns out that the drug (and probably other statins), also appear to lower levels of C-reactive protein, which can help indicate inflamed coronary arteries. And inflammation can contribute to heart disease by damaging the arteries and encouraging the growth of clot-forming plaque deposits.

So is it time to get your CRP measured and possibly take a statin if that level is high, even if your LDL isn’t? Probably not. Here’s why.

To read the full article from Consumer Reports, visit http://blogs.consumerreports.org/health/2010/06/statins-for-high-cholesterol-should-people-without-high-cholesterol-take-a-statin-best-buy-drugs.html

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