Brendano

Prescription Drug Prices May 6, 2009

      Prescription drugs are cheaper under universal health care. Prescription drugs are negotiated by the government and translate into cheaper prices. “Prescription drugs in the United States cost 30 to 60 percent more than the same medications anywhere else in the Industrial World” (Barlett and Steele 36). I decided to investigate this on the web. I used Pharmacy Checker to investigate drug prices.

     I picked five drugs. Lipitor 20mg is a cholesterol lowering medication. Canada Drugs listed 30 pills costing 60.78. CVS listed the same drug as costing $134.99. That is a savings of $74.21

     The second medication I picked was Zyprexa 10 mg. Zyprexa is a drug that treats schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Canada Drugs sells the drug for $ 222.92 for 28 pills. CVS listed the same drug for 30 tablets costing $414.99. That is a $191.28 difference.

      Premarin 12.5 is for menopause symptoms. Canada Drugs listed 84 tablets at $48.93. Costco listed the same drug at $74.04 for 59 tablets. The difference between the pills is 98 cents per pill.

     Celebrex 100mg is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) painkiller. Canada Drugs listed 60 tablets for $52.00. CVS.com listed 30 tablets for $75.99. The difference between the two pills is $2.53.

     Finally, for giggles I compared prices for Viagra 25mg to treat erectile dysfunction. CanadaDrugs listed the price of 4 tablets at $49.20 or $12.30 for each pill. Costco listed 20 tablets at $260.67 at $13.03 for the same drug. The difference between the two pills is 73 cents a pill.

     The evidence suggests that prescription drugs are cheaper in Canada than in the U.S. By negotiating drug prices by the government, drugs are cheaper under universal health care.