Cost of medications

Did you know that prescription drugs are sometimes less expensive than over-the-counter versions?

As I searched in the pharmacy for Imodium® 2mg, an over-the-counter antidiarrheal agent that every traveler carries, I was flabbergasted by its cost. Not only would I have to pay its inflated price, I also would have to fork over the 8.8% sales tax, since prescription drugs in the state of Washington are free of sales tax but over-the-counter items are not.

I asked the pharmacy to quote me a price on loperamide 2 mg, the generic equivalent, which is only available by prescription. Lo and behold, it was considerably cheaper than the Imodium®.

As another example, when I bought Amlactin 12% cream, I had to pay $14.69; however, when I asked the pharmacist if he could give it to me as a prescription, the cost was $12.50.

Did you know that usually it is much cheaper and just as safe to buy the store brand of a medication rather than the manufacturer’s brand? (For instance, Walgreen’s aspirin versus Bayer.)

PHILIP WAGENAAR, M.D.
Contributing Editor