Discounts on Prescription Drugs Available from a Variety of Sources, Quinn Says

Consumers looking for lower prescription drug prices "don't have to wait for the drug discount program proposed last month by President Bush," columnist Jane Bryant Quinn writes in the Baltimore Sun (Quinn, Baltimore Sun, 8/26). Under Bush's plan, intended to help Medicare beneficiaries, the federal government would approve discount cards issued by pharmacy benefit managers, who would use the purchasing power of Medicare beneficiaries to negotiate with pharmacies and drug makers to reach discounts of between 15% to 25% off of drugs' retail prices. Participating PBMs would direct seniors to specific drugstores, create preferred drug lists, fill prescriptions by mail and operate telephone call centers to answer consumers' questions. To participate in the plan, seniors would pay a one-time enrollment fee not to exceed $25 (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 7/13). However, Quinn writes that consumers can currently find drug discounts similar to those proposed under the Bush plan "if they shop around." Quinn says that discounts are available in the following ways:

• Mail-order and online stores: Reliable sites such as cvs.com, drugstore.com and walgreens.com offer prescriptions online at discounts of 15% to 30% below retail. Some sites like rxusa.com also offer services over the phone. Quinn notes that reputable sites will have the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site seal of approval and should ask for a prescription and doctor's phone number to verify the order.
• Purchasing drugs from Canada: MedicineAssist in Bennington, Vt., will supply physicians with forms that allow them to fax prescriptions to two Canadian pharmacies that will in turn ship the drugs to the doctor's office for distribution.
• Pharmacy clubs: Some pharmacies offer seniors cards that provide discounts of 10% to 15%.
• Membership drug plans: Some groups, like AARP and Merck-Medco, give members the option of participating in group drug plans. AARP members can get discount medications through a mail-order service or by purchasing a separate discount card that is honored at some pharmacies. For an annual fee of $25 to $40, Merck-Medco offers anyone over the age of 18 access to discount drugs through the mail or at participating pharmacies.
• State plans: Nearly half of all states provide discount drug plans. State programs can be identified by calling Medicare's Prescription Drug Assistance line or through local senior centers. Some states such as New Hampshire are now looking to negotiate discounts directly with drug companies for seniors who do not have prescription coverage, but pharmacists and drug makers have battled similar initiatives in Vermont and Washington (Quinn, Baltimore Sun, 8/26).