Any experience with Blink pharmacy?

[H2ODude]

Found the following link after hearing something on the news the other night:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/10/b...-by-pulling-back-the-curtain-online.html?_r=0

Not an insurance plan, but you can price and pay for your scrip on their site (no charge to join) and go pick it up .... at your pharmacy. We are just turning 65 and rarely use prescriptions, so went with a cheapo high deductible part D. For the few things we occasionally use, this is far better than using the "insurance." Yeah, I know it doesn't apply to the insurance deductible, but unless we start gobbling pills we're far better off.

One example; pay retail at Walgreens $85. Pay Blink $14 and pick it up at same Walgreens. Anyway, you may want to check it out. I don't see a downside as it's no fee, not buying from some mysterious warehouse, can opt out on case by case basis.

 

[Sue J]

I saw a piece on TV about this and compared it to www.GoodRX.com. I've been using GoodRX.com for a few years. Blink is an interesting concept but for our few prescriptions and our location I found GoodRx to be a better deal. We compare costs at our insurance mail order service vs local costs based on GoodRx info and go for the lowest price.

Depending on what prescriptions you need and your insurance.....YMMV

 

[imoldernu]

Would like to hear from anyone using this.
I don't understand how, or why a retail pharmacy would do this.

One of my prescriptions retails for $88. My Medicare Plan D cost is $15... the "Blink" price is shown as $9.81.

Unless I missed it, the article doesn't say how or by whom the drug would be approved. Pharmacies usually require a Doctor's prescription. Even the Canadian drug companies require a prescription.

 

[MBSC]

Would like to hear from anyone using this.
I don't understand how, or why a retail pharmacy would do this.

One of my prescriptions retails for $88. My Medicare Plan D cost is $15... the "Blink" price is shown as $9.81.

Unless I missed it, the article doesn't say how or by whom the drug would be approved. Pharmacies usually require a Doctor's prescription. Even the Canadian drug companies require a prescription.

You call in your refill or take the prescription to a participating pharmacy, whatever is your current routine.

The difference is you enter the drug name, strength, and quantity into Blink beforehand and prepay. You then get "insurance codes" to printout or display on the smartphone app that tell the pharmacy your copay is $0.

As stated above, you may get better deals elsewhere depending on the drug.

 

[marko]

I don't understand how, or why a retail pharmacy would do this.

Me too.

Does the medication come from somewhere and Walgreens just act as a sort of "certified holder" for pickup or is Walgreens filling the Rx themselves. In either case, why would they do this?

 

[MBSC]

Blink is the same as the unsolicited drug discount cards that come in the mail and save up to 90%. The twist is price transparency.

Instead of taking the traditional drug discount card inside the pharmacy and then learning the price is $9.81 with discount, you pay $9.81 on your smartphone in the pharmacy parking lot before going inside.

 

[NoMoreJob]

I was curious so checked my wife's prescription. Blink's price was $17 at WalMart. She currently purchases it at WalMart for $4. I think she'll skip Blink.