Americans are spending roughly 14 percent more on prescription drugs compared to last year, despite the fact that generic prices have gone down. The reason is because most consumers do not realize that there are comparable generic names that are much cheaper, as most doctors do not initiate conversations with patients about the price of drugs and generic alternatives. 80 percent of drugs have a generic alternative, most costing around 4 dollars or less.
There is also a huge amount of difference in brand drug pricing from pharmacy to pharmacy. Certain drugs like Plavix can range from 20 dollars at one primacy to 200 at the other. The reason is some independent pharmacies can negotiate on name brand prices, where major pharmacies like CVS cannot. Some drugs that have patent protection, like Lipitor, will be expensive no matter where a consumer looks for them. Prices on Lipitor have gone up 87 percent.
