We recently reported on two price surveys conducted by the state of Maine and New York City that found that independent pharmacies had lower prescription drug prices compared with chain drugstores, supermarkets, and mass merchandisers like Wal-Mart.
In December, another prescription price survey conducted by the New York Statewide Senior Action Council in Albany, New York, concluded, “The lowest prices for generic drugs were found at an independent pharmacy. . . contrary to the belief that chain drug stores with high volume purchases would pass on the savings to customers.”
For example, prices for Lovastatin, a cholesterol medication, ranged from $84.50 at the independent Lincoln Pharmacy to $199.97 at Rite Aid. The online pharmacy Drugstore.com offered Lovastatin it for $99.99, Wal-Mart for $136.62, and Target for $146.39.
