The Average Cost of Prescription Drugs Without Insurance
Medications are often cheap for people with insurance, but the average cost of prescription drugs without insurance can be expensive. Fortunately, it’s still possible to save on the cost of medicine in this situation. For example, assistance plans are available through certain pharmaceutical companies to cover part of the price of their prescription drugs. In addition, some retailers offer savings programs that let users buy generic drugs at discount prices far below the cost of name-brand versions.
Standard Pill Costs
Unfortunately, it’s difficult for consumers to calculate costs of prescription drugs for budget purposes. Because drugs vary in strength and prescriptions come in different sizes, prices vary considerably. Because generic drugs aren’t available at all pharmacies, patients can’t always expect to find the cheapest versions of medicines they need. Lipitor is one example of this. For the 10 mg version of the drug, U.S. consumers can expect to pay anywhere from $0.43 to $1.99 for a single pill. By comparison, the 80 mg pill of the same medication costs between $0.72 and $3.36 for a pill, which makes it considerably cheaper when patients have the option to purchase 60 or 90 days worth of the drug.
Prohibitive Pricing
The average cost of prescription drugs without insurance is too high for many patients. Lyrica is one example with its average price of $3 per pill. Meanwhile, the acid reflux drug Nexium can cost anywhere from $0.61 up to $3.64 for the 40 mg pills. Consumers can expect to see significantly higher prices for name-brand versions of drugs. In cases of inhaled or injected medications, prices are often even higher. Humira, for instance, can cost as much as $1,890 for just two syringes without insurance to cover it.
Big-Box Retailers: Target and Walmart
Patients can find literally hundreds of generic drugs for as little as $4 per month at these stores, with 90-day supplies going for just $10. Unfortunately, these prices cover only a limited selection of drugs, making the average cost of prescription drugs without insurance too high for many consumers. For example, new drugs without generic versions aren’t sold at these low prices. However, this discount pricing often does cover drugs used for common health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. Both Walmart and Target offer similar pricing on these medications. Patients can usually find these drugs for low prices by shopping around.
How Patients Can Save Money
The average cost of prescription drugs without insurance can be high, but patients can save quite a bit of money if they know how. Opting for the generic brand of a drug, if available, is a sure way to save money every time. In some cases, drug manufacturers list discount plans, coupons and other forms of assistance on their websites. Physicians are also occasionally valuable sources of both samples and information about finding discount drugs and free trials. However, eDrugSearch.com is definitely the best way to compare prices between different sources and ultimately get safe access to affordable medications. The average consumer who uses eDrugSearch.com to compare their prices from licensed online pharmacies will save 72% off standard U.S. retail prices.
