GoodRX

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengsational Doctors offices must get kickbacks or something because it's like pulling teeth to get them to generate the paper prescription nowadays. They put "your regular pharmacy" in their system. I asked that they remove the default pharmacy (so they'd be forced to use paper), but I couldn't even get them to remove it! Thankfully, I'm down to taking zero Rx prescriptions.

I think it's just easier and quicker...after my DH's recent sugery I was emailing his internist about a med and it literally showed up in my Walgreens app in real time.

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengsational Doctors offices must get kickbacks or something because it's like pulling teeth to get them to generate the paper prescription nowadays. They put "your regular pharmacy" in their system. I asked that they remove the default pharmacy (so they'd be forced to use paper), but I couldn't even get them to remove it! Thankfully, I'm down to taking zero Rx prescriptions.

It's called electronic medical records. Once you introduce paper you're back to the last century.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRG It's called electronic medical records. Once you introduce paper you're back to the last century.

Except the difference between a paper and an electronic prescription can be hundreds, even thousands of dollars since you can't easily shop it around. The prescribers could set it up so it was a pull system with an assigned prescription number and the filling pharmacy would pull it off their website.

[sengsational]

Yeah, if we're going to boast about getting computerized, how about the doctor submits it to my choice of a GoodRx-like service that shops it for me, finds the best price locally and by mail, and lets me pick the cheapest place, or whatever my criterion is.

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover Except the difference between as paper and an electronic prescription can be hundreds, even thousands of dollars since you can't easily shop it around. The prescribers could set it up so it was a pull system with an assigned prescription number and the filling pharmacy would pull it off their website.

I'm not arguing. I worked in the field(electronic records) once you allowed a single piece of paper you have comprised one big promise of EMR.

I was surprised when DW received a prescription for hydrocodone recently. No paper! I really thought those scripts still needed paper to back them. Guess not, she had two scripts for it.

Systems are built for the clients, i.e. providers and payers. Providers are not the consumer, nor are the payers. The consumer gets what's left, nothing.

[Breedlove]

A very sad but true story and guess what our pres. was right on the gag rule. DW was getting ready to retire so we asked CVS if we lose our ins. copay how much will we pay. The lady took my two scripts and wrote a cost on each . One 130.00 and the other 120.00 for three months each . I ask what !!! we now pay 18.00 and 21.00 for three months . I asked here if there was anything they could do ….NO ! So we check good RX , coupon at CVS both 7.00 and 7.50 a month . We went to Costco and the price is the same as with her co pay . Last Thursday I told my Doctor about this , he shook his head and told me to go to Costco , take my pill bottles and have them call him.

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengsational Yeah, if we're going to boast about getting computerized, how about the doctor submits it to my choice of a GoodRx-like service that shops it for me, finds the best price locally and by mail, and lets me pick the cheapest place, or whatever my criterion is.

Oh that's a great idea!
But, why would a company want to build "their own gallows" to reduce profits?

What's needed(imho) is a Bogle for healthcare. Someone who is motivated to change how an industry works, including ideas like what you're suggesting. I'm not optimistic that person is around. I hope I'm wrong.

As far as boasting about computerized medical healthcare advancements, our local clinic is one of a few HIMSS level 7 providers. They still can't make an appointment and keep it. They still can't forward medical records to others..... Technology is not the only answer.

[Live And Learn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRG I have health insurance that's useless when it comes to formulary. My dogs have none. Goodrx saves me hundreds on medication I need but my insurance won't cover. So in addition to the premiums, I pay $250 a month for needed medication. Do you use Goodrx for flea, tick, heartworms meds or dual use meds.

GoodRx covers meds that humans use. It does not cover canine / feline only stuff. My dog has epilepsy and takes the same meds a human would.

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover Except the difference between a paper and an electronic prescription can be hundreds, even thousands of dollars since you can't easily shop it around. The prescribers could set it up so it was a pull system with an assigned prescription number and the filling pharmacy would pull it off their website.

Well remember you don't have to take it even if the pharmacy has already filled it for you. Check it on Good RX and if it's cheaper have them re-run it and if another local pharm is much cheaper make them transfer it. My issue isn't the electronic RX, it's the Walgreens and places that fill it the minute it comes in and doesn't wait for you to request the fill.

I got burned by this when my DH got discharged from his last cardiac surgery that had some heart rhythm issues. They say they are going to discharge but take forever for everyone to sign off on the discharge order. At 9 am they are saying maybe he'll spend a couple 3 days at the short term rehab place closer to our home the rehab will handle the meds. After they check his labs and he get some more exercise at 1PM they decide, no he can go directly home so at 2pm they give me the RX for the Meds.

I'm 75 miles away from home,my local pharmacy is 15 miles from my home in the opposite direction, my DH can't be left alone and really can't spend that long in the car. it's now 3PM and he needs his next dose at 9PM. I say uncle and go to the hospital pharm which charges me an extra 100 bucks for the meds because I'm not comfortable going home without the pills in my possession.

I check Walgreens and his insurance same price as hosp pharm and thanks to reading here about GoodRX am able to get the next fill for a hundred dollars cheaper. .


I didn't have my wits about me or I would have checked GoodRX at the hospital and looked for a possible pharm on the way home from the hospital where I could save the 100 bucks. It had been a rough 9 days and we had never needed GoodRX before since he was taking cheap generics.

[big-papa]

I've used goodRX at Costco and got a pretty good discount. Main downside was that I did get the discount, but it doesn't show up on my insurance, so it wasn't applied towards the deductible. That wasn't the case in the past when I used manufacturer's discounts.

[explanade]

So it's not that unusual for insurance copays to be higher in price than the actual cost of the drug.

It's been happening about 25% of the time.

Quote:

Insurance copays are higher than the cost of the drug about 25 percent of the time, according to a study published in March by the University of Southern California’s Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics. USC researchers analyzed 9.5 million prescriptions filled during the first half of 2013. They compared the copay amount to what the pharmacy was reimbursed for the medication and found in the cases where the copay was higher, the overpayments averaged $7.69, totaling $135 million that year.

Culprit is PBMs which handles prescription drugs for insurers.

Often, when the copay collected is higher than the drug price, the PBM claws back the difference.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/...-for-a-40-drug

[nwsteve]

Quote:

Originally Posted by big-papa I've used goodRX at Costco and got a pretty good discount. Main downside was that I did get the discount, but it doesn't show up on my insurance, so it wasn't applied towards the deductible. That wasn't the case in the past when I used manufacturer's discounts.

Check this thread re GoodRX & Costco. It resulted from me trying to use a GoodRX coupon for 26 for an item I paid 38 under my Plan D.
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...n-d-93241.html
Basically Costco told me if I had Plan D I had to use it. I told them to ignore the insurance and they said Medicare required the Plan D to be used.
If I had taken a paper script to another pharmacy probably could have used it.

[HaveEnough]

If you have a recurring prescription, especially insulin, give Canada a try. Marks Marine Pharmacy has the insulin I use for $90 vs $550 best rate with GoodRx.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HaveEnough If you have a recurring prescription, especially insulin, give Canada a try. Marks Marine Pharmacy has the insulin I use for $90 vs $550 best rate with GoodRx.

Wow!

[travelover]

Damn, I got burned again today. Pooch has a bladder infection and the vet prescribed an antibiotic. I could get a paper prescription or just pick up the pills at the vet. I figured the cost would be a little more at the vet, but worth the convenience. The 14 pills were $68. When I got home I looked at GoodRX and found I could have gotten 20 pills for $9 at the local supermarket pharmacy. I wrote an email to the owner of the vet clinic to share my experience.

No more prescriptions filled without price comparison.

[Ronnieboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HaveEnough If you have a recurring prescription, especially insulin, give Canada a try. Marks Marine Pharmacy has the insulin I use for $90 vs $550 best rate with GoodRx.

That's because we (USA consumers) subsidize it

Just for sh*ts and giggles, lets say that the makers of Lantus solostar pens have to make $300 per box of 5 pens to make enough money to manufacture, advertise, pay drug reps, pay for R&D of the existing drug and new drugs, pay for future lawsuits regarding said drug, pay for lobbyists to whisper in government ears, pay for the FDA process and the FDA equivalent processes in other countries, etc. etc. etc. Doesn't matter if you agree with any of the above, it just is.

Canada has price controls so the company can only charge $90.
Mexico has a smaller average household income so to not price themselves out of the market they only charge $40
Europe has price controls so they only charge on average $110
Wonder where the manufacture can make up the difference? America where there are no price controls and the manufacturer charges $600. The money has to be made up somewhere

[explanade]

One thing I'll say about GoodRX.

I had a prescription filled for high BP medication, Valsartan, at a Safeway using the GoodRX price.

I got a call from them, after I'd taken it for a couple of weeks after getting a 90-day supply.

The Valsartan was recalled because one of the impurities was linked with cancer.

So I got a replacement with another drug and Safeway refunded the whole amount of the Valsartan.

Now it's suppose to be generic but maybe they get supplies from cheap Chinese companies or something?

Because it sounded like some manufacturers of Valsartan didn't have the problem with the impurity.

So maybe that's how they get lower prices, by sourcing from questionable suppliers.

[Lagniappe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by explanade One thing I'll say about GoodRX. I had a prescription filled for high BP medication, Valsartan, at a Safeway using the GoodRX price. I got a call from them, after I'd taken it for a couple of weeks after getting a 90-day supply. The Valsartan was recalled because one of the impurities was linked with cancer. So I got a replacement with another drug and Safeway refunded the whole amount of the Valsartan. Now it's suppose to be generic but maybe they get supplies from cheap Chinese companies or something? Because it sounded like some manufacturers of Valsartan didn't have the problem with the impurity. So maybe that's how they get lower prices, by sourcing from questionable suppliers.

My understanding is that GoodRx does not source the medication, the pharmacies do. Good Rx aggregates pricing information and shares it with you.

Are you saying that GoodRx called you and reimbursed you? Or that the Safeway pharmacy did?

[explanade]

Safeway.

It was an automated call from corporate.

No details other than stop taking and return immediately.

So I had to Google.

My point is maybe that’s how some of these pharmacies offer low prices and GoodRX displays the lowest prices.

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by explanade Safeway. It was an automated call from corporate. No details other than stop taking and return immediately. So I had to Google. My point is maybe that’s how some of these pharmacies offer low prices and GoodRX displays the lowest prices.

Maybe but I'd just go with the idea that they all use pretty much the same suppliers and some pharmacies just make a lot more money off of people's illnesses and misfortunes.