After a big Thanksgiving Day dinner, and lots of shopping to kick off the Christmas Season, you’re probably in need of lower priced cholesterol medication for 2 reasons. 1. All of that gravy on your mashed potatoes likely shot your cholesterol through the roof, and 2. now that you hit the stores hard to grab the deals on Black Friday, you’re probably in need of a money saving deal on your medication. Lucky for you, on Wednesday, December 1, Lipitor’s generic version will be available in stores. If you’ve been keeping up on the news (or you read last week’s blog post), you probably know that some pharmacy insurance companies are blocking the sale of the generic version to some customers in return for large rebates from Pfizer, the maker of Lipitor. In the short term, it really doesn’t matter … Continue reading
In a last ditch effort to retain as much market share and as many sales as possible, Pfizer, the maker of Lipitor, made a deal this week with several pharmacy insurance companies. The deal claims that through rebates to the pharmacy plan payors and the insurance companies (from Pfizer), Pfizer is undercutting the price on the generic Lipitor, atorvastatin. In exchange, the insurance companies will block the sale of the generic for anyone on their particular plan. In essence, consumers will get the brand name medication for the generic copay price. So what does all of this mean to the average consumer? Good question, there are a lot of unanswered questions. Short term it likely means lower copays for the brand name drug at the pharmacy counter if you have insurance. In the end, however, it could drive up your … Continue reading
It’s almost here, the long awaited generic version of the most profitable drug in the world, Lipitor. On November 30, the Pfizer drug Lipitor will lose its patent exclusivity and finally be available in a generic form. Atorvastatin is the generic name for Lipitor, and will be manufactured by Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals. Although we are not sure how much of a discount we will see off of the drug to begin with, it is certain to command a pretty handsome price even in its generic form. A couple of notes to remember: it may take a few days beyond November 30 to start seeing atorvastatin show up on drug store shelves, and it also may take a couple of weeks beyond that date before it is entered into the computer at your insurance company. This could leave a little bit of … Continue reading
Every year we see posts around New Year’s with suggestions to get healthy for the new year. This is ironic, because the average person puts on 5-7 pounds over the holiday season. Not exactly the jumpstart to slimming down and staying healthier for the new year. The words “diet” and “exercise” make some people cringe, most people actually. Those two words have a very negative connotation, one that exudes boredom and dullness. It doesn’t have to be that way, and we have a couple of quick and easy tips to remember during this holiday season filled with less time to workout and high calorie foods at all of the parties you’re likely to attend. With regard to diet this holiday season and beyond, it doesn’t mean you have to eliminate foods you love. You can enjoy them thoroughly even, but … Continue reading
Imagine if there were a way to lower your prescription medication bill each month by hiring a pharmacist who was on your side, and not the side of pharmacies or drug companies. Now imagine that hiring this professional came with a 100% money-back guarantee if they weren’t able to find you savings exceeding your costs for the service. Good news, that service is available now! In the 21st century, we hire professionals for all types of jobs. Doctors, lawyers, engineers, and architects are all skilled individuals who are at the top of their game to lead the way in their respective fields. They are looked upon as the experts by the general public, and rightfully so. In this day and age, and with the sky rocketing costs of prescription drugs, it is important to ally yourself with a professional like … Continue reading
This year, Medicare opened registration for selection of your medicare part d plan a full month earlier than in previous years (typically November 15th, this year opened on October 15th). This was done in an effort to give more time to make choices, and have those choices implemented by the start of the new year. But buyer beware, picking the wrong Part-D plan could cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in unnecessary expenses. It is important to do your research aside from what your insurance agent is selling you. One such tool can be found at Medicare.gov or through our services at Rx Savings Solutions. We realize the task of picking a Part-D plan can be an intimidating process. The plan that is best for your spouse or a friend, likely isn’t the best plan for you. And … Continue reading
Every year in the United States, doctors write millions of prescriptions for their patients. Of those prescriptions, nearly 33% are never filled. There are a variety of reasons for this, which include the perception they are not sick and don’t need the medicine, or even mistrust in the medical system as a type of scam to get their money. The main reason these prescriptions go unfilled correlates strongly with cost and/or the inability to pay. This situation for those who cannot afford their medication is unfortunate at best. Not taking these potentially life savings medications can cost you in many ways. It can cost you more money due to an adverse event, time spent with family, and quality of life. Think of it this way, if you didn’t fill and take your blood pressure medication and had a heart attack, … Continue reading
Each year, millions of people die from lung cancer related to smoking. Despite the public knowledge, this fact continues to be true. Instead of taking the typical (and very sad) approach of telling you how it can hurt you and those closest to you, we’d like to highlight a new place of pain, your pocketbook. A complaint we often hear about smoking cessation drugs we recommend is that their price tag is to high. Chantix, Nicotine gum, patches, and fake cigarettes can all cost a pretty penny. That being said, so does the smoking habit for chronic offenders. Let’s look at the yearly cost for a pack a day smoker. For the purposes of this article, we’ll assume a cost of $4.50 per pack. Take that times 365 days and you’re at $1,642.50! $1,642.50 saved every year is a significant … Continue reading
Over the past several years there has been a big push to administer vaccines at retail pharmacy locations. It started with a couple of flu shots one year, followed by a whole bunch of flu shots just a year later. Now, pharmacies and other retailers are looking for any way to make more money. Because this is a new revenue stream for them, the flu shots from a couple of years ago has grown into a large array of options today. Here’s a list of some of the vaccines we’ve found to be available and administered at retail pharmacy locations. Influenza (Flu) Pneumococcal (Pneumonia) Hepatitis A Hepatitis B HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Varicella (Chicken Pox) Zoster (Shingles) MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) Tetanus Diptheria Pertussis Meningococcal (Meningitis) Rotavirus Pricing and availability for these vaccines can vary widely, so be sure to call … Continue reading
