Trying to help someone that lost Rx coverage

[deltaforce]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hello folks,

I am a non-practicing pharmacist, lurk around often, as I am in the middle of decision, if I should consider practicing.

This question is specifically for someone I am trying to help, who lost Rx coverage this year and has a good number of medical conditions. Walmart/Target etc $4 plans don't cut it as he doesn't take those drugs, all are expensive generics. I suggested him GoodRx, which is good, but wondering if there is any other discount plan that he can try.

He is not that poor that he will qualify for 340B or similar plans so such help for folks around poverty line is out for him. He doesn't take any brand name drugs that he will qualify for manufacturer's savings card. He has been to almost all box chain pharmacies (and also tried discount cards he was suggested by Rite-Aid pharmacist) but all of them are way more than GoodRx prices

Will appreciate if anyone has information about such discount cards, or any other way to get discounts on Rx meds. This guy is NY resident.

Thanks in advance.

 

[spacecowgirl]

xubex.com?

 

[dblock05]

Can you list some of the drugs hes taking?

 

[CynicalIntern]

Without knowing what drugs he is on, we really can't help at all.

 

[VP_Pharm2004]

http://unarxcard.com/create-card.php

 

[DAW2]

or see if doc will switch to something cheaper...

 

[farmadiazepine]

Give me the names of the drugs, the strengths, and the quantities. I will give you the cheapest cash prices. I will mail the medications to your friend as well as long as he doesn't mind paying for shipping.

If you don't want to do that, I will tell you this: don't go to CVS or Walgreens or Rite Aid. They jack up their prices anywhere from 100% to 8000%. Go to independent community pharmacies and shop around. You will get the best prices from an independent, HOWEVER, I have worked at too many independents in NY that do cheat the customer in terms of prices, so it is best to shop around.

If you need any more information just PM me, and I will help you the best I can.

 

[type b pharmD]

Hello folks,

I am a non-practicing pharmacist, lurk around often, as I am in the middle of decision, if I should consider practicing.

This question is specifically for someone I am trying to help, who lost Rx coverage this year and has a good number of medical conditions. Walmart/Target etc $4 plans don't cut it as he doesn't take those drugs, all are expensive generics. I suggested him GoodRx, which is good, but wondering if there is any other discount plan that he can try.

He is not that poor that he will qualify for 340B or similar plans so such help for folks around poverty line is out for him. He doesn't take any brand name drugs that he will qualify for manufacturer's savings card. He has been to almost all box chain pharmacies (and also tried discount cards he was suggested by Rite-Aid pharmacist) but all of them are way more than GoodRx prices

Will appreciate if anyone has information about such discount cards, or any other way to get discounts on Rx meds. This guy is NY resident.

Thanks in advance.

Familywise

 

[zelman]

...He doesn't take any brand name drugs that he will qualify for manufacturer's savings card...

If he can get manufacturer assistance, it might be better to get the brand name (if it's on the market).

 

[fewaopi]

some pharmacists will do cash price but actually just make it only slightly higher than the price it cost the pharmacy to get. i echo the statement not to go to cvs, rite aid or walgreens they are generally very very expensive because they don't bother probably with calculating the actual cost and charging a little extra maybe the computer just does it for them.

i think independents are a good idea but their cost of getting the drug might still be more than other retail chains. i would suggest a not so busy walmart or big box store or even better your supermarket pharmacy might provide good deals for cash.

 

[molyhelp]

Hello folks,

I am a non-practicing pharmacist, lurk around often, as I am in the middle of decision, if I should consider practicing.

This question is specifically for someone I am trying to help, who lost Rx coverage this year and has a good number of medical conditions. Walmart/Target etc $4 plans don't cut it as he doesn't take those drugs, all are expensive generics. I suggested him GoodRx, which is good, but wondering if there is any other discount plan that he can try.

He is not that poor that he will qualify for 340B or similar plans so such help for folks around poverty line is out for him. He doesn't take any brand name drugs that he will qualify for manufacturer's savings card. He has been to almost all box chain pharmacies (and also tried discount cards he was suggested by Rite-Aid pharmacist) but all of them are way more than GoodRx prices

Will appreciate if anyone has information about such discount cards, or any other way to get discounts on Rx meds. This guy is NY resident.

Thanks in advance.

Try Costco, by law, you can buy prescription without membership. I did it for Z-PACK antibiotic during 2010, I called chain stores:
Walgreens, CVS, RiteAid...all around 35 dollars or more even with their chain's discount.
Costco: $9 dollars. I did not believe my ear, I asked again and again. Finally, I walked in, not a member, I paid only $9 for Z-PACK and got well.

Each discount card you found on the internet will give different prices for different medication.

For example, Metformin may be $10 with discount card A and may be $15 with discount card B.

And then,

Lisinopril will may be $15 with discount card A and may be $10 with discount card B.

The fact is: there is no best discount card for ALL MEDICATIONS.

To get the best price, you would:
Arm yourself with 5 different discount cards.
Beg a pharmacy to run EACH medication with 5 different discount cards.
Then, you will see what I meant.

Each discount card you found on the internet will give different price for different medication.

Again, please list the medications, some nice folks here who have spare time (or intern) will help finding the best prices.

I like discount card with name as
NETCARD SYSTEM
BIN 014856
PCN CB8
GROUP CD2S (LETTER C, LETTER D, NUMBER 2, LETTER S),
ID is whatever random number.

Good luck

 

[trailerpark]

Who pays for these discount cards? I'm so confused by them...!?

 

[owlegrad]

You can use the good rx phone app to find the best card for each medication. There is no need to ask the pharmacy to run 5 different cards for each medication.

 

[zelman]

some pharmacists will do cash price but actually just make it only slightly higher than the price it cost the pharmacy to get. i echo the statement not to go to cvs, rite aid or walgreens they are generally very very expensive because they don't bother probably with calculating the actual cost and charging a little extra maybe the computer just does it for them.

i think independents are a good idea but their cost of getting the drug might still be more than other retail chains. i would suggest a not so busy walmart or big box store or even better your supermarket pharmacy might provide good deals for cash.

At CVS we don't know the drug cost. The only way I can find out is to order it and nothing else and check the invoice. The total reflects our discount, but each line doesn't.

Try Costco, by law, you can buy prescription without membership. I did it for Z-PACK antibiotic during 2010, I called chain stores:
Walgreens, CVS, RiteAid...all around 35 dollars or more even with their chain's discount.
Costco: $9 dollars. I did not believe my ear, I asked again and again. Finally, I walked in, not a member, I paid only $9 for Z-PACK and got well.

Each discount card you found on the internet will give different prices for different medication.

For example, Metformin may be $10 with discount card A and may be $15 with discount card B.

And then,

Lisinopril will may be $15 with discount card A and may be $10 with discount card B.

The fact is: there is no best discount card for ALL MEDICATIONS.

To get the best price, you would:
Arm yourself with 5 different discount cards.
Beg a pharmacy to run EACH medication with 5 different discount cards.
Then, you will see what I meant.

Each discount card you found on the internet will give different price for different medication.

Again, please list the medications, some nice folks here who have spare time (or intern) will help finding the best prices.

I like discount card with name as
NETCARD SYSTEM
BIN 014856
PCN CB8
GROUP CD2S (LETTER C, LETTER D, NUMBER 2, LETTER S),
ID is whatever random number.

Good luck

Costco pharmacy access laws vary by state.

Who pays for these discount cards? I'm so confused by them...!?

Basically the idea is Company X tells Pharmacy Y that they will help them get the business of people without insurance in exchange for smaller markup on drugs. The process is funded by the "processing fee" paid the Company X every time Pharmacy Y bills the discount card.

 

[trailerpark]

Basically the idea is Company X tells Pharmacy Y that they will help them get the business of people without insurance in exchange for smaller markup on drugs. The process is funded by the "processing fee" paid the Company X every time Pharmacy Y bills the discount card.

Can someone explain this in more ******ed terms? I'm still lost. Who is profiting from these cards. I always see them at laundry mats and other poor people places. My DM said we're only allowed to use them if the patient brings them in, but NEVER to offer them. I guess we lost 9,000 on them or something...?

And btw I'm a new RPH and I'm so sick of all these nasty medical assistance people. What the hell? Can't they just go to goodwill and buy a set of clean clothes for 15 bucks and take a shower and get a job and just be more than a societal drain on everyone else. And why are they all on crazy pills, pain meds and benzos? I feel like if I didn't have to work and could just sleep in everyday and watch Jerry Springer all day I'd be happy as a clam. And why do they b*tch about 1 dollar copays, but they all have smart phones...? And why do they have kids if they can't even afford their 1 dollar copays...



And if anyone has any tips to get these people to go away, please let me know. And some of them call constantly asking about their crazy pills. Anyone have a good line or phrase they use to get them to call less frequency? I always say we're still waiting to hear back from your doctor and since your already signed up for a phone or text message you will get a message when it's ready and if you don't get a message then CALL YOUR DOCTOR.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...b-sVLGzMoiiNuTrgZgO&tbm=isch&ved=0CDcQMygAMAA

 

[zelman]

Can someone explain this is more ******ed terms, I'm still lost. Who is profiting from these cards. I always see them at laundry mats and other poor people places.

The card company. They get a small amount of money (a dollar maybe?) for each Rx.

 

[deltaforce]

My apologies for not replying quickly. I was too busy to get hold of him.

So following are the medications he is on at this moment, subject to change as he has some appointments coming up.

Verapamil 80mg tablets (120 tabs/month)
Nabumetone 750mg (60 tabs/month)
Sulfasalazine DR 500mg (360 tabs/month)
Wellbutrin XR Generic 150mg (30 tabs/month)
Mesalamine enema 4g/60ml (28/month)
Hydrocortisone enema (28/month)
Canasa (30/month)

From my talk with him, the rest of the medications are manageable, but the enemas are killing the budget. He is also afraid if his GI puts him on biologics. Not too sure how it goes then, as he won't qualify for the manufacturer's assistance, nor he would be able to afford them. Canasa, he is getting from Canadian Pharmacy, $3/pop (as opposed to ~$3000 for 90 day supply i.e. 90 suppositories his insurance charged him in 2013).

Regarding someone asking how these discount cards make money, from what I understood, they (the discount card makers) just outsource it to Pharmacy Benefit Managers and they manage almost all of it, right from negotiating the drug prices to handling discount coupons. Goodrx specifically makes separate contract with chain pharmacies and PBMs for independent pharmacies. I could not understand the intricacies of this process, but main profit is from referral, advertisement and discounts offered by the manufacturers.

 

[Ackj]

The cards make a ton of money for doing absolutely nothing. They charge the pharmacy for the "privilege" of submitting a claim to them, somewhere from $1-6 per claim, and then come up with a copay that defies any logic. Sometimes the copay is exorbitant, sometimes (more often) it's below pharmacy cost. From their standpoint, they may as well give super low copays, because then more people will want to use the card, and therefore more claims go to them and they make more $.

 

[ExpressMaiL]

Standard price without any discount
36.9
91.9
91.76
58.12
510.52
298.64
850.99

 

[PharmEcon]

The "discount" cards make money by collecting data and selling it...

 

[FarmD711]

Why do the pharmacies accept them??

 

[midweststudent1]

The card company. They get a small amount of money (a dollar maybe?) for each Rx.

Sometimes a lot more than a dollar...a couple years ago I saw some getting almost $10

 

[dosepak]

I like to use these discount cards for my customers w/o rx coverage:

1. Generx
Bin: 808413
ID: Lowest
Group: Lowest

2. Goodrx

The Bin/ID/Group varies. But you can pull it up on www.goodrx.com.

 

[trailerpark]

And you don't lose any money using those?