HOUSTON – Prescription drug prices vary wildly from one pharmacy to the next. If you don't comparison shop, you could pay hundreds of dollars more than you have to, but pharmacies don't make it easy to compare prices.
KPRC 2 consumer expert Amy Davis found a couple of apps to take some of the frustration out of the chore.
No matter what drug your doctor prescribes, when they ask you which pharmacy you'd like to them to send your script to, just tell them to give it to you instead. You can then shop around to find the pharmacy with the lowest price.
First, go to GoodRX.com, type in the name of the drug you need and your zip code. The site reveals a list of prices at drug stores near you.
Davis said that when she searched for Actos, she found the lowest cash price at Kroger for $12.10. The same prescription is $107.47 at Walgreens. These are cash prices that GoodRX has negotiated with the pharmacies.
Another app and website to try is LowestMed.com. The price for Actos at Walgreens here is $86.33. That is $21.14 cheaper than at GoodRX, so it's worth it to check both websites.
Both LowestMed.com and GoodRX.com give consumers codes or coupons they must present at the pharmacy to get the listed price.
Consumers are not allowed to combine their insurance with these prices, but in some cases GoodRX.com's prices may be lower than your insurance co-pay.
To find out how much a specific drug will cost you at any pharmacy, go to the website of the insurance company you use and find the drug price estimator. If an insurance company does not have that feature online, a customer service representative should be able to tell you what the prescription will cost you at different pharmacies.