Costco - Read The Whole Article!

[AffectionateDan]

> >
> > Let's hear it for Costco!! (This is just mind-boggling!) Make
> > sure you read all the way past the list of the drugs.
> > The woman that signed below is a Budget Analyst out of federal
> > Washington, DC offices.
> >
> >
> > Did you ever wonder how much it costs a drug company for the
> > active
> > ingredient in prescription medications? Some people think it must
> > cost a lot, since
> > many drugs sell for more than $2.00 per tablet. We did a search
> > of offshore chemical synthesizers that supply the active
> > ingredients found in drugs approved by the FDA. As we have
> > revealed in past issues of Life Extension, a significant
> > percentage of drugs sold in the United State s contain active
> > ingredients made in other countries. In our independent
> > investigation of how much profit drug companies really make,
> > we obtained the actual price of active ingredients used in some
> > of the most popular drugs sold in America.
> >
> >
> > The data below speaks for itself.
> >
> >
> > Celebrex: 100 mg
> > Consumer price (100 tablets): $130.27
> > Cost of general active ingredients: $ 0.60
> > Percent markup: 21,712%
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Claritin: 1 0 mg
> > Consumer Price (100 tablets): $215.17
> > Cost of general active ingredients: $0.71
> > Percent markup: 30,306%
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Keflex: 250 mg
> > Consumer Price (100 tablets): $157.39
> > Cost of general active ingredients: $1.88
> > Percent markup: 8,372%
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Lipitor: 20 mg
> > Consumer Price (100 tablets): $272.37
> > Cost of general active ingredients: $5.80
> > Percent markup: 4,696%
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Norvasc: 10 mg
> > Consumer price (100 tablets): $188.29 Cost of general active
> > ingredients: $0.14
> > Percent markup: 134,493%
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Paxil: 20 mg
> > Consumer price (100 tablets): $220.27
> > Cost of general active ingredients: $7.60
> > Percent markup: 2,898%
> >
> >
> >
> > Prevacid: 30 mg
> > Consumer price (100 tablets): $44.77
> > Cost of general active ingredients: $1.01
> > Percent markup: 34,136%
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Prilosec: 20 mg
> > Consumer price (100 tablets): $360.97
> > Cost of general active ingredients $0.52
> > Percent markup: 69,417%
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Prozac: 20 mg
> > Consumer price (100 tablets) : $247.47
> > Cost of general active ingredients: $0.11
> > Percent markup: 224,973%
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Tenormin: 50 mg
> > Consumer price (100 tablets): $104.47
> > Cost of general active ingredients: $0.13
> > Percent markup: 80,362%
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Vasotec: 10 mg
> > Consumer price (100 tablets): $102.37
> > Cost of general active ingredients: $0.20
> > Percent markup: 51,185%
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Xanax: 1 mg
> > Consumer price (100 tablets) : $136.79
> > Cost of general active ingredients: $0.024
> > Percent markup: 569,958%
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Zestril: 20 mg
> > Consumer price (100 tablets) $89.89
> > Cost of general active ingredients $3.20
> > Percent markup: 2,809
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Zithromax: 600 mg
> > Consumer price (100 tablets): $1,482.19
> > Cost of general active ingredients: $18.78
> > Percent markup: 7,892%
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Zocor: 40 mg
> > Consumer price (100 tablets): $350.27
> > Cost of general active ingredients: $8.63
> > Percent markup: 4,059%
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Zoloft: 50 mg
> > Consumer price: $206.87
> > Cost of general active ingredients: $1.75
> > Percent markup: 11,821%
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Since the cost of prescription drugs is so outrageous, I thought
> >
> > everyone should know about this. Please read the following and
> > pass it on.
> > It pays to shop around. This helps to solve the mystery as to why
> > they
> > can afford to put a Walgreen's on every corner. On Monday night,
> >
> > Steve Wilson, an investigative reporter for Channel 7 News in
> > Detroit,
> > did a story on generic drug price gouging by pharmacies. He
> > found
> > in his investigation, that some of these generic drugs were
> > marked up as
> > much as 3,000% or more. Yes, that's not a typo.....three
> > thousand
> > percent! So often, we blame the drug companies for the high cost
> > of
> > drugs, and usually rightfully so. But in this case, the fault
> > clearly
> > lies with the pharmacies themselves. For example, if you had to
> > buy a prescription
> > drug, and bought the name brand, you might pay $100 for 100
> > pills.
> > The pharmacist might tell you that if you get the generic
> > equivalent,
> > they would only cost $80, making you think you are "saving" $20.
> > What
> > the pharmacist is not telling you is that those 100 generic pills
> > may
> > have only cost him $10!
> >
> >
> > At the end of the report, one of the anchors asked Mr. Wilson
> > whether or
> > not there were any pharmacies tha t did not adhere to this
> > practice,
> > and he said that Costco consistently charged little over their
> > cost for
> > the generic drugs.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > I went to the Costco site, where you can look up any drug, and
> > get its
> > online price. It says that the in-store prices are consistent
> > with the
> > online prices. I was appalled. Just to give you one example from
> > my own
> > experience, I had to use the drug, Compazine, which helps prevent
> > nausea
> > in chemo patients.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > I used the generic equivalent, which cost $54.99 for
> > 60 pills at CVS. I checked the price at Costco, and I could
> > have bought 100 pills for $19.89. For 145 of my pain pills, I
> > paid
> > $72.57. I could have got 150 at Costco for $28.08.
> >
> >
> > I would like to mention, that although Costco is a "membership"
> > type
> > store, you do NOT have to be a member to buy prescriptions
> > there,
> > as it is a federally regulated substance. You just tell them at
> > the door
> > that you wish to use the pharmacy, and they will let you in.
> > (this is
> > true)
> >
> >
> > I went there this past Thursday and asked them. I am asking each
> > of you
> > to please help me by copying this letter, and passing it into
> > your
> > own e-mail, and send it to everyone you know with an e-mail
> > address.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From www.snopes.com:
Although we can't guarantee that Costco always has the lowest prices on
generic drugs, it is generally true that their pharmacy will fill
prescriptions for non-members (but be prepared to pay by cash or ATM card
rather than check).
Also keep in mind that your drug coverage may not allow you to fill your
prescription elsewhere.
Also you may want to check out the article on snopes.com for more
information.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >
> > Sharon L. Davis
> > Budget Analyst
> > U.S . Department of Commerce
> > Room 6839
> > Office Ph: 202-482-4458
> > Office Fax: 202-482-5480
> > E-mail Address: [email protected]
> >
>

 

[venray]

Though the basic premise of the story is true(there is a wide difference in markup of GENERIC) , the price chart below has little relevance:

Brand Name
of Drug Consumer Price/100 tabs Cost of General
Active Ingredients Percent Markup

Celebrex 100 mg $130.27 $0.60 21,712%
Claritin 10 mg $215.17 $0.71 30,306%
Keflex 250 mg $157.39 $1.88 8,372%
Lipitor 20 mg $272.37 $5.80 4,696%
Norvasc 10 mg $188.29 $0.14 134,493%
Paxil 20 mg $220.27 $7.60 2,898%
Prevacid 30 mg $44.77 $1.01 34,136%
Prilosec 20 mg $360.97 $0.52 69,417%
Prozac 20 mg $247.47 $0.11 224,973%
Tenormin 50 mg $104.47 $0.13 80,362%
Vasotec 10 mg $102.37 $0.20 51,185%
Xanax 1mg $136.79 $0.024 569,958%
Zestril 20 mg $89.89 $3.20 2,809%
Zithromax 600mg $1,482.19 $18.78 7,892%
Zocor 40mg $350.27 $8.63 4,059%
Zoloft 50mg $206.87 $1.75 11,821%

This chart has little relevance (other than an inflammatory one), as far more goes into the retail pricing of drugs than the raw cost of their active ingredients. Pharmaceutical companies expend money on the research and development costs of creating the drugs, plus the overhead costs of manufacturing, marketing, and shipping them; as well, pharmacies must sell drugs for more than their wholesale prices in order to cover the overhead costs of store operations (including pharmacists' salaries).

(also from Snopes)

 

[tulipangel]

WOW! Im gonna check it out! 😕

 

[drew70]

I've been a member of Costco since ithe days it used to be called Price Club. It's my favorite store. Their quality control is unparallelled.