7 ms·

Whenever I visit the states and pop into CVS I am frequently amazed at the sticker prices on some of the dugs there. Things that literally cost pennies per tab

Whenever I visit the states and pop into CVS I am frequently amazed at the sticker prices on some of the dugs there. Things that literally cost pennies per tablet in the UK (generic hayfever tablets, pain killers etc) were absurd prices. 20USD for 7 hayfever tablets? 15 USD for 12 ibuprofen tablets? WTF?! Do not forget to get 12 hayfever tablets for £1.80 (~2USD) from a supermarket before your flight otherwise you'll need to spend 45USD (+tax) at the CVS a block from your hotel. Do you guys actually pay these prices for this stuff, or is it only forgetful travellers who fall for it and end up paying through the nose because they have no other choice? Surely you won't be claiming for pain killers for a headache etc on your health insurance? (...although at those prices maybe you should??!) It feels to me that is pretty criminal to charge those prices at retail - to inflate even more to insurers just seems pretty outrageous.

jedberg 6y ago
> Do you guys actually pay these prices for this stuff, or is it only forgetful travellers who fall for it and end up paying through the nose because they have no other choice? Usually you can get those cheaper in bulk, like at Costco, or at a pharmacy that your doctor works with, or you can get a discount by showing your insurance card. But yes, sometimes when desperate, we pay that much too. We also have these health savings plans where we get a debit card and can buy that stuff with pre-tax money, which is sort of like saving 10-40% depending on your tax bracket. But yes, it sucks. When I go to other countries I try to stock up. You have better prices and stuff that we can't get here.
- triceratops 6y ago
  > health savings plans where we get a debit card and can buy that stuff with pre-tax money, These are stupid, and I wish they'd die, for multiple reasons. First, the list of things that are allowed and not allowed is completely arbitrary and random. Feminine hygiene products are allowed, but baby formula isn't. Wtf why? And now someone's gotta maintain this list of items and enforce it (Wageworks et al), and process claims made manually. So now we've just added another actor in the whole system that can add their own profit margin on top. All so we can save a few bucks in paying taxes. Second, these aren't available to everyone (just like 401k plans, the other symbol of taxation inequality). It's a benefit that has to be offered by your employer, and there are plenty of shitty employers out there. The people who could most use a tax break on a $10 bottle of aspirin are the least likely to get it. Third, the use-it-or-lose-it nature of FSA money. And if you lose it, the money goes back to the employer. Again, wtf why? You're basically placing a wager against your expected healthcare expenses every year at open enrollment time. For really no clear benefit. Why can't the "debit card" work like a "credit card" instead, with payments made directly from your paycheck? There's no guessing involved, and no one ever over- or under-contributes.
  - jedberg 6y ago
    I agree 100% with everything you've said. They're dumb and just another band-aid for the fact that our insurance is tied to our jobs.
  - FireBeyond 6y ago
    > feminine hygiene products are allowed, but baby formula isn't One is a healthcare product, the other is a food (nutritional supplement at best).
    - triceratops 6y ago
      It's baby formula not protein powder. It's literally life-sustaining. Calling it merely "a food" misses the point because, other than breast milk, it's the only food very young infants can consume. I'm not arguing that tampons and sanitary napkins shouldn't be FSA-eligible; I think it's 100% correct that they are. I'm just pointing out the randomness of what is considered eligible.
      - jjeaff 6y ago
        Food and water is necessary to sustain human life. Why isn't food and water covered? Whether something is necessary to sustain life is not the criteria used to decide if an HSA covers it or not.
        triceratops 6y ago
        I was talking about FSAs, not HSAs. > Whether something is necessary to sustain life is not the criteria used to decide if an HSA covers it or not. And I'm arguing that the criteria, whatever they are, are arbitrary and stupid and need to die in a fire. Along with the the whole concept of FSAs. Yeah food and water are essential, but baby formula isn't ham sandwiches or avocado toast. It's the only food that a baby can have - it's an essential health item. That an account meant to pay for health expenses doesn't allow it is downright dumb. Calling it a "flexible" spending account is downright Orwellian language. It's the opposite of flexible.
- syspec 6y ago
  You can get a discount on allergy medicine by showing your insurance card? Is that true, that's a really good tip. How does that work I feel like they would just tell me this is an OTC drug and politely decline
  - jedberg 6y ago
    Depends on the pharmacy. Some have negotiated prices for OTC. If you already use that pharmacy for your prescriptions they can give you the discount, and sometimes by contract they have to give you the discount. Like all things insurance, it's very specific to you and takes more work to find the discount than it's worth. Usually it's just something that is surprising when it happens.
  - UnbugMe 6y ago
    I've never gotten a discount on OTC with any of my insurance cards. However, my OTC allergy meds are available as a prescription, which the insurance happily covers. Thank goodness because I otherwise couldn't afford the $400/yr.
  - masonic 6y ago
    Generic OTC allergy meds are cheap when you don't buy boutique retail. I pay less than $11/year for daily generic Claritin (365 doses) at Costco. Allegra is a touch more.
Animats 6y ago
Compare prices between Boots in the UK and Walgreens in the US. They're the same company, Walgreens Boots Alliance. Many items come from the same sources. But the price difference is huge.
- mattlondon 6y ago
  Personally I find boots in the UK to be an absolute scam anyway. Their prices on everything are almost always more expensive than supermarkets - not just by a few pennies but often in the 25+% range. I think they survive solely on makeup sales, and small stores in airports and stations where there is a captive audience? No one can seriously shop there for everyday stuff.
  - DominikPeters 6y ago
    In the UK (and most other countries), a 25% markup is outrageous. In the US, a 500% markup is pretty common. I don’t understand how this is not competed away. Yes, CVS offers convenience, but not more convenience than offered by a corner Tesco in the UK, which has very competitive prices.
cbau 6y ago
It could be argued CSV and the like are taking advantage of uninformed people or charging more for people who need medicine now, perhaps because they didn't build a good medicine cabinet. The same medicines can be bought on Amazon or at CostCo for 10x cheaper than the generics at CSV or Walgreen, but you need to know about that option and plan for it. Some price comparison: - 30 400mg guaifenesin tablets cost $10.50 ($0.35 each) at a Walgreens in San Francisco - 200 400mg guaifenesin tablets cost $8.50 ($0.04 each) on Amazon (CostCo Kirkland brand)
dtnewman 6y ago
CVS and corner stores generally inflate prices outrageously. For example, for 24 pills of Aceteminophen (Paracetamol), you'll pay $4.59 at CVS [1] vs $1.19 for 50 pills at Target [2]. It's even cheaper if you buy in bulk. CVS is just a ripoff and primarily caters to people who need something right now or at some odd hour. Generally, generic drugs aren't too expensive in the US. But we pay more for many brand drugs. [1] https://www.cvs.com/shop/cvs-health-extra-strength-pain-relief-acetaminophen-caplets-500mg-24-ct-prodid-686584 https://www.cvs.com/shop/cvs-health-extra-strength-pain-reli... [2] https://www.target.com/p/acetaminophen-extra-strength-pain-reliever-fever-reducer-caplets-up-up-153/-/A-51217955?preselect=11369394#lnk=sametab https://www.target.com/p/acetaminophen-extra-strength-pain-r...
TylerE 6y ago
Where were you seeing those prices? I can walk into any drugstore here (US East Coast) and get a bottle of 500 ibuprofen for $20. https://www.cvs.com/shop/cvs-health-ibuprofen-tablets-value-size-200mg-500-ct-prodid-923748 https://www.cvs.com/shop/cvs-health-ibuprofen-tablets-value-...
- jerrysievert 6y ago
  all of my local cvs drugs store mark that as "out of stock" according to the link you posted. the closest that Walgreens offers, according to their website, actually in store (97201 if you want to look) appears too be around $50 for 500 200mg ibuprofen.
- dublinben 6y ago
  As a point of comparison, an equivalent product is available from Walmart for less than $8. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-Ibuprofen-Tablets-200-mg-Pain-Reliever-and-Fever-Reducer-500-Count/39661525 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-Ibuprofen-Tablets-200-mg-P...
refurb 6y ago
CVS is probably one of the most expensive stores to buy OTC drugs in. You can go to Costco and get it way cheaper. I think acetaminophen is less than $0.01 per tablet.
jerrysievert 6y ago
when I first lost insurance, I asked my local (rite aid) pharmacy about the generic price of what I was taking hoping to buy 90 days worth - they quoted me ~$10/pill (one per day). I can order it from aliexpress for ~$0.24/pill, and from alibaba for ~0.002/pill (in powdered form). since it's a fairly common chemical that was patented in 1957, and is listed by wikipedia as costing between $0.01/pill and 0.04/pill wholesale, I really started to question the prices. of course, now my insurance pays for it, and marks it at ~$1/pill in their "invoice". still, somehow the math doesn't add up. no cvs near me to compare to, but Walgreens was similar prices. it really feels like a scam, but who can you really complain to? I'm in no way sympathetic of for-profit health insurance companies, but I have to hope that someone can push legislation to help curtail this. of course, this is just one point of anecdata, but looking at similar costs of things like omeprazole over time seem to corroborate these findings.
- phonon 6y ago
  You can usually get a discount using something like https://www.goodrx.com/ https://www.goodrx.com/ Pharmacies have certain "list prices" that they don't actually want to charge.
- masonic 6y ago
  In my experience when I was uninsured, Costco's uninsured rates for prescription drugs beat everybody.
pkaye 6y ago
A lot of stuff in CVS are overpriced. I guess they are charging for "convenience". You are better off going to Walmart, Costco, Target to name a few. Even my local hospital pharmacy has OTC medicines at lower prices.
Ididntdothis 6y ago
The US health system is geared towards ripping off patients as much as possible. The treatment is fine but the billing side is basically criminal.
Rebelgecko 6y ago
Where were you shopping, and were you looking at "Generics" or fancy name brands? You also pay a premium if you don't buy in bulk. Getting 10x more drugs sometimes only costs 50% more. The prices you listed are definitely not normal— last time I bought Ibuprofen I think it was 2¢ per pill, although that was on sale. According to their website, the CVS by me is charging 5¢ per pill right now. If it's prescribed, you can try to get insurance to pay for OTC meds. You can also pay for them with pre-tax dollars. Sometimes there's also prescription versions of OTC meds. I've been offered a prescription for 800mg ibuprofen but didn't bother.
andrewf 6y ago
Pricing is per-location, so the hotel thing could be part of it. Downtown locations will also be more expensive than suburbs etc. Typically, at all locations, you'll pay a much higher per-unit price for smaller containers. (I only know about non-prescription stuff.)
salawat 6y ago
Yes. Purportedly, prices are so high in the United States in order to compensate for the hybridization of the rest of the world. My eyebrow is still stuck to the ceiling from the first time someone pitched that excuse to me with a straight face.
- colejohnson66 6y ago
  I’ve heard the argument that it’s because we’re subsidizing the costs for third world countries. Somehow.
- salawat 6y ago
  Gah! s/hybridization/subsidization Damn you autocorrect, I know what I want to say!

jedberg 6y ago

> Do you guys actually pay these prices for this stuff, or is it only forgetful travellers who fall for it and end up paying through the nose because they have no other choice? Usually you can get those cheaper in bulk, like at Costco, or at a pharmacy that your doctor works with, or you can get a discount by showing your insurance card. But yes, sometimes when desperate, we pay that much too. We also have these health savings plans where we get a debit card and can buy that stuff with pre-tax money, which is sort of like saving 10-40% depending on your tax bracket. But yes, it sucks. When I go to other countries I try to stock up. You have better prices and stuff that we can't get here.

triceratops 6y ago
> health savings plans where we get a debit card and can buy that stuff with pre-tax money, These are stupid, and I wish they'd die, for multiple reasons. First, the list of things that are allowed and not allowed is completely arbitrary and random. Feminine hygiene products are allowed, but baby formula isn't. Wtf why? And now someone's gotta maintain this list of items and enforce it (Wageworks et al), and process claims made manually. So now we've just added another actor in the whole system that can add their own profit margin on top. All so we can save a few bucks in paying taxes. Second, these aren't available to everyone (just like 401k plans, the other symbol of taxation inequality). It's a benefit that has to be offered by your employer, and there are plenty of shitty employers out there. The people who could most use a tax break on a $10 bottle of aspirin are the least likely to get it. Third, the use-it-or-lose-it nature of FSA money. And if you lose it, the money goes back to the employer. Again, wtf why? You're basically placing a wager against your expected healthcare expenses every year at open enrollment time. For really no clear benefit. Why can't the "debit card" work like a "credit card" instead, with payments made directly from your paycheck? There's no guessing involved, and no one ever over- or under-contributes.
- jedberg 6y ago
  I agree 100% with everything you've said. They're dumb and just another band-aid for the fact that our insurance is tied to our jobs.
- FireBeyond 6y ago
  > feminine hygiene products are allowed, but baby formula isn't One is a healthcare product, the other is a food (nutritional supplement at best).
  - triceratops 6y ago
    It's baby formula not protein powder. It's literally life-sustaining. Calling it merely "a food" misses the point because, other than breast milk, it's the only food very young infants can consume. I'm not arguing that tampons and sanitary napkins shouldn't be FSA-eligible; I think it's 100% correct that they are. I'm just pointing out the randomness of what is considered eligible.
    - jjeaff 6y ago
      Food and water is necessary to sustain human life. Why isn't food and water covered? Whether something is necessary to sustain life is not the criteria used to decide if an HSA covers it or not.
      - triceratops 6y ago
        I was talking about FSAs, not HSAs. > Whether something is necessary to sustain life is not the criteria used to decide if an HSA covers it or not. And I'm arguing that the criteria, whatever they are, are arbitrary and stupid and need to die in a fire. Along with the the whole concept of FSAs. Yeah food and water are essential, but baby formula isn't ham sandwiches or avocado toast. It's the only food that a baby can have - it's an essential health item. That an account meant to pay for health expenses doesn't allow it is downright dumb. Calling it a "flexible" spending account is downright Orwellian language. It's the opposite of flexible.
syspec 6y ago
You can get a discount on allergy medicine by showing your insurance card? Is that true, that's a really good tip. How does that work I feel like they would just tell me this is an OTC drug and politely decline
- jedberg 6y ago
  Depends on the pharmacy. Some have negotiated prices for OTC. If you already use that pharmacy for your prescriptions they can give you the discount, and sometimes by contract they have to give you the discount. Like all things insurance, it's very specific to you and takes more work to find the discount than it's worth. Usually it's just something that is surprising when it happens.
- UnbugMe 6y ago
  I've never gotten a discount on OTC with any of my insurance cards. However, my OTC allergy meds are available as a prescription, which the insurance happily covers. Thank goodness because I otherwise couldn't afford the $400/yr.
- masonic 6y ago
  Generic OTC allergy meds are cheap when you don't buy boutique retail. I pay less than $11/year for daily generic Claritin (365 doses) at Costco. Allegra is a touch more.

Animats 6y ago

Compare prices between Boots in the UK and Walgreens in the US. They're the same company, Walgreens Boots Alliance. Many items come from the same sources. But the price difference is huge.

mattlondon 6y ago
Personally I find boots in the UK to be an absolute scam anyway. Their prices on everything are almost always more expensive than supermarkets - not just by a few pennies but often in the 25+% range. I think they survive solely on makeup sales, and small stores in airports and stations where there is a captive audience? No one can seriously shop there for everyday stuff.
- DominikPeters 6y ago
  In the UK (and most other countries), a 25% markup is outrageous. In the US, a 500% markup is pretty common. I don’t understand how this is not competed away. Yes, CVS offers convenience, but not more convenience than offered by a corner Tesco in the UK, which has very competitive prices.

cbau 6y ago

It could be argued CSV and the like are taking advantage of uninformed people or charging more for people who need medicine now, perhaps because they didn't build a good medicine cabinet. The same medicines can be bought on Amazon or at CostCo for 10x cheaper than the generics at CSV or Walgreen, but you need to know about that option and plan for it. Some price comparison: - 30 400mg guaifenesin tablets cost $10.50 ($0.35 each) at a Walgreens in San Francisco - 200 400mg guaifenesin tablets cost $8.50 ($0.04 each) on Amazon (CostCo Kirkland brand)

dtnewman 6y ago

CVS and corner stores generally inflate prices outrageously. For example, for 24 pills of Aceteminophen (Paracetamol), you'll pay $4.59 at CVS [1] vs $1.19 for 50 pills at Target [2]. It's even cheaper if you buy in bulk. CVS is just a ripoff and primarily caters to people who need something right now or at some odd hour. Generally, generic drugs aren't too expensive in the US. But we pay more for many brand drugs. [1] https://www.cvs.com/shop/cvs-health-extra-strength-pain-relief-acetaminophen-caplets-500mg-24-ct-prodid-686584 https://www.cvs.com/shop/cvs-health-extra-strength-pain-reli... [2] https://www.target.com/p/acetaminophen-extra-strength-pain-reliever-fever-reducer-caplets-up-up-153/-/A-51217955?preselect=11369394#lnk=sametab https://www.target.com/p/acetaminophen-extra-strength-pain-r...

TylerE 6y ago

Where were you seeing those prices? I can walk into any drugstore here (US East Coast) and get a bottle of 500 ibuprofen for $20. https://www.cvs.com/shop/cvs-health-ibuprofen-tablets-value-size-200mg-500-ct-prodid-923748 https://www.cvs.com/shop/cvs-health-ibuprofen-tablets-value-...

jerrysievert 6y ago
all of my local cvs drugs store mark that as "out of stock" according to the link you posted. the closest that Walgreens offers, according to their website, actually in store (97201 if you want to look) appears too be around $50 for 500 200mg ibuprofen.
dublinben 6y ago
As a point of comparison, an equivalent product is available from Walmart for less than $8. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-Ibuprofen-Tablets-200-mg-Pain-Reliever-and-Fever-Reducer-500-Count/39661525 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-Ibuprofen-Tablets-200-mg-P...

refurb 6y ago

CVS is probably one of the most expensive stores to buy OTC drugs in. You can go to Costco and get it way cheaper. I think acetaminophen is less than $0.01 per tablet.

jerrysievert 6y ago

when I first lost insurance, I asked my local (rite aid) pharmacy about the generic price of what I was taking hoping to buy 90 days worth - they quoted me ~$10/pill (one per day). I can order it from aliexpress for ~$0.24/pill, and from alibaba for ~0.002/pill (in powdered form). since it's a fairly common chemical that was patented in 1957, and is listed by wikipedia as costing between $0.01/pill and 0.04/pill wholesale, I really started to question the prices. of course, now my insurance pays for it, and marks it at ~$1/pill in their "invoice". still, somehow the math doesn't add up. no cvs near me to compare to, but Walgreens was similar prices. it really feels like a scam, but who can you really complain to? I'm in no way sympathetic of for-profit health insurance companies, but I have to hope that someone can push legislation to help curtail this. of course, this is just one point of anecdata, but looking at similar costs of things like omeprazole over time seem to corroborate these findings.

phonon 6y ago
You can usually get a discount using something like https://www.goodrx.com/ https://www.goodrx.com/ Pharmacies have certain "list prices" that they don't actually want to charge.
masonic 6y ago
In my experience when I was uninsured, Costco's uninsured rates for prescription drugs beat everybody.

pkaye 6y ago

A lot of stuff in CVS are overpriced. I guess they are charging for "convenience". You are better off going to Walmart, Costco, Target to name a few. Even my local hospital pharmacy has OTC medicines at lower prices.

Ididntdothis 6y ago

The US health system is geared towards ripping off patients as much as possible. The treatment is fine but the billing side is basically criminal.

Rebelgecko 6y ago

Where were you shopping, and were you looking at "Generics" or fancy name brands? You also pay a premium if you don't buy in bulk. Getting 10x more drugs sometimes only costs 50% more. The prices you listed are definitely not normal— last time I bought Ibuprofen I think it was 2¢ per pill, although that was on sale. According to their website, the CVS by me is charging 5¢ per pill right now. If it's prescribed, you can try to get insurance to pay for OTC meds. You can also pay for them with pre-tax dollars. Sometimes there's also prescription versions of OTC meds. I've been offered a prescription for 800mg ibuprofen but didn't bother.

andrewf 6y ago

Pricing is per-location, so the hotel thing could be part of it. Downtown locations will also be more expensive than suburbs etc. Typically, at all locations, you'll pay a much higher per-unit price for smaller containers. (I only know about non-prescription stuff.)

salawat 6y ago

Yes. Purportedly, prices are so high in the United States in order to compensate for the hybridization of the rest of the world. My eyebrow is still stuck to the ceiling from the first time someone pitched that excuse to me with a straight face.

colejohnson66 6y ago
I’ve heard the argument that it’s because we’re subsidizing the costs for third world countries. Somehow.
salawat 6y ago
Gah! s/hybridization/subsidization Damn you autocorrect, I know what I want to say!