Compare Pharmacy Prices & Save Money

Many people think that the price they have to pay for their prescription drugs is the price they got from their local pharmacies. The fact that most of those drugs are overpriced so much forces some patients to go without their medication, because it comes down to a choice between medicine or paying the rent and eating.

The good news is that there is a way to compare the price of prescription drugs online. You can see cost of drugs from stand-alone pharmacies, pharmacies are you local grocery stores, discount pharmacy chains, Canadian pharmacies and pharmacies that you have to mail order from.

When you realize that you have options, the affordability of the medicine you need becomes a lot clearer. Here’s how you can compare pharmacy prices online:

Step 1: Local Pharmacy Prices

To get the best idea of the cost of prescription medicine near you, the first step should be to call up your local brick-and-mortar pharmacies to see how much drugs cost.

If you’ve never called the pharmacy before, you can generally retrieve a phone number off of the pharmacy’s website or by taking advantage of an online phone book.

If you have an insurance plan or prescription discount plan, make sure to mention that to the pharmacist you talk to. It’s also important to mention things like your dosage and if there is a generic variation of the drugs you’re interested in available.

Step 2: Compare Local Pharmacies Online

The next step is to compare the price of prescription drugs with different stores in your area. The best way to do this is to check on a website like GoodRx.com.

Checking the price of prescriptions this way is simple. All you need to do is to enter the name of the drug you’re interested in and the area you live in.

The finer details can be selected when you get to the next screen. Dosage amount, quantity, form and generic or band name can all be chosen.

The one drawback is that you may not see all the pharmacies in your local area. This will only give you an idea of how much your local pharmacies are going to charge you for your prescription.

Step 3: Check the Price of Drugs in Your State

Many states have what is known as “drug comparison websites” so that people can compare pharmacy prices without leaving their own home. Each state is different and some won’t have such a website. For more information on how to find out if you state has a drug comparison website, check with your state’s government website directory.

• Arizona – www.azgovernor.gov/coppercard/
• California - www.dhcs.ca.gov/individuals/Pages/PresDrgDisPrgmMedRcpts.aspx
• Colorado - www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/HCPF-ColoradoCaresR x/CCRX/1251596459076 
• Florida – www.myfloridarx.com
• Indiana – www.rxforindiana.org
• Maine - www.maine.gov/dhhs/mainerx/
• Michigan – www.michigan.gov/mdch
• Minnesota – www.minnesotarxconnect.com
• New Hampshire – www.egov.nh.gov/medicine-cabinet
• New Jersey – www.njdrugprices.nj.gov
• New Mexico – www.ago.state.nm.us
• New York - https://apps.health.ny.gov/pdpw/ConsumerInfo.action
• Ohio – www.agrx.ag.state.oh.us/secured/landing.aspx
• Oklahoma - www.cocaa.org/rx
• Oregon - www.oregon.gov/OHA/pharmacy/OPDP/Pages/index.aspx
• Rhode Island - http://adrc.ohhs.ri.gov/paying/Prescription_Assist.php
• Tennesse - www.covertn.gov/index.html
• Washington – www.rx.wa.gov
• West Virginia - www.wvrx.org

Step 4: Compare Pharmacy Prices From Other Places

By this step, you should have a good idea of how much prescription drugs cost in your local area. This is important because it will allow you to have a better idea of how much money you may be saving with online pharmacies.

The best way to compare pharmacy prices between online and mail-order pharmacies is to use eDrugSearch.com. Each pharmacy listed have reviews from people like you, and eDrugSearch.com makes every attempt to ensure that the pharmacies you might be purchasing from are safe to use.

That’s why all the pharmacies listed on eDrugSearch.com are licensed and have gone through a rigorous verification process.

The average customer saves 40% off the price that they would normally pay for pharmaceuticals from their local U.S. pharmacies. With so little to lose and so much to gain, you should try searching eDrugSearch.com today.

About this Angie’s List Expert: Cary Byrd is the president and founder of eDrugSearch.com. Based in San Antonio, eDrugSearch.com is a free cost comparison engine that helps consumers get safe access to affordable medications and advocates licensed online pharmacies as a widely accepted alternative.