Vermont Launches Web Site That Compares Drug Prices

Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell (D) on Tuesday unveiled a Web site that will allow state residents to compare prices offered by Vermont pharmacies for prescription medications, the AP/Boston Globe reports. Using the site, consumers can select their medication, town or county and view a list of prices offered for various drugs in area pharmacies.

Sorrell and Assistant Attorney General Julie Brill said that drug prices for commonly prescribed medications can vary by 30% or more at pharmacies in the same area. Sorrell said, "Give consumers good information, and they can make smart buying decisions. As the already high cost of drugs goes even higher, this comparison shopping tool should be a great help to price-conscious Vermonters."

However, Earl Pease, chair of the state Board of Pharmacy, called the Web site a "waste of time." He said that "customary" prices posted by pharmacies with state officials are not indicative of the copayments most insured people pay when they purchase prescriptions, or the discounted payments public and private insurance systems charge for the drugs. Pease said that fewer than 5% of customers actually "pay the cash price; that's why I think the Web site is so futile." Pease said he was making comments on the Web site as a pharmacist, not as chair of the board (AP/Boston Globe, 7/11).