Why Retail Pharmacies Still Overcharge Uninsured Patients—And What That Means for Amazon
Consumer Reports recently published a fascinating survey of pharmacies’ cash prices for five common generic drug prescriptions. The results were startling. Prescription prices ranged from $66 to $1,351—a nearly 2,000% difference. The big three retail drugstore chains—CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid—consistently had higher average prices compared with those of other pharmacies. Independent pharmacies had some of the lowest prices, but also some of the highest prices. Our analysis of prescription profits highlights the pharmacy industry’s unfortunate pricing strategy for cash-pay prescriptions. Average profit margins ranged from $8 to $264 per prescription for the five drugs. We can only hope that … Continue reading Why Retail Pharmacies Still Overcharge Uninsured Patients—And What That Means for Amazon