Debi emailed in the following tip:
We have two Type 1 diabetics in our home: my husband and now our son.We have insurance, but since my husband is self-employed and diabetic, it’s very expensive.
Our prescriptions are also expensive and I noticed the price kept going up at Walgreens — and they couldn’t explain it. So after years of filling our prescriptions with Walgreens, I have been researching everything.
Someone mentioned Sam’s Club and Costco, so I decided to check into it. We have a Costco membership, but only go maybe one time a month. I never even thought to check into the pharmacy.
Long story short… after several phone calls and checking into it all, we opened a Sam’s Club business membership for $45 per year which we calculated will save about $700 PER YEAR just on one of our prescriptions!
And today, as I was in there getting our prescriptions, I noticed they also carry a product called Zanfel, which is an amazing poison ivy product and it’s $13 cheaper than Walgreens!
I had no idea how much it would save us to switch our pharmacy needs to Sam’s Club Pharmacy, but it’s been so worth it! -Debi
Kim says
I work for a doctor’s office and I use a website, http://www.needymeds.com for not only patients but also for my family and friends. It has all the pharmaceutical companies and their drugs listed there that they offer patient assistance for. Both name brand and generic. you can not have any prescription coverage and they go by your income but some have very high income guidelines. Most offer totally free medications with some charging a copay for them. You have to complete a portion of the application, your doctor has to complete a portion and a prescription and then some require you to send in proof of your income. Most will allow you (or the office) to fax in the paper work so that you get the meds quicker. Most companies qualify you for one year then you have to reapply. most send a 3 month supply at one time with the patient responsible for filing for refills which are usually a simple call to let them know you need the refill or a form that you send back to them. they are pretty self explanatory, the average person can do this and it has saved so much money and afforded so many of our patients and my own parents from going without their meds.
Meredith says
My generic birth control prescription went from $28 per month at Kroger pharmacy to $0 per 3 months at Costco. Enough said!
Cassie says
That’s likely due to the Affordable Care Act. If you are insured, your insurance is required to pay the FULL cost of your birth control, making it $0 out of pocket anywhere you go (as of Jan. 1, 2013).
Rebecca says
My husband is a type 1 diabetic on an infusion pump. One change we’ve made recently that has unexpectedly saved us a bunch of money on copays recently and improved his A1C is having him switch to a much lower carb diet. He’s always been thin, and has have no complications so far from his diabetes, so his doctor hasn’t ever really been concerned with his food choices. However, after hitting 35, he started putting on a few extra pounds, so we both started eating low carb back in June. In addition to losing his extra 10lbs, he found he was using waaaay less insulin to keep his sugars in check – like 75% less compared with his previous diet. Now a bottle of humalog lasts him several weeks, instead of just 10 days. His blood sugars have been more stable, so he’s testing less often = less spent on test strips.
Andrea says
My preschooler was dx as T1D over the summer.
I wanted to bring to your attention that after a vial of insulin is opened, it starts to go bad. We have been advised to open a new vial every 28 days (though to make it easier we just open a new one the 1 st of the month.) I understand your husband doesn’t seem to be having issues with his insulin losing it’s efficacy … Just wanted to point out this important fact for others.
Meanwhile, we pay $800 a month for our supplies with our high-deductible insurance. That’s not counting the $305 Glucagon rescue kit. I just don’t know how “they” expect people to pay these exorbitant prices … It’s definitely not sustainable!
Ann says
Don’t forget to also contact the drug company to see if they have any coupons. I am on Relpax for my migraines to the tune of $150 for 4 tablets a month! My insurance company would only allow me 4 a month and we have the high deductible insurance so I HAVE to get them monthly and just can’t swing that much money! However, the company has a $100 off a month card that you can get for free so I’m paying only $50 for the 4 tablets now, saving myself $1200 a year!
JenniF says
Doctors have coupons too. My insurance upped my “allowed” amount of imatrex which is good because I go through * a month or more. If I didn’t have insurance all my migraine meds would be more than our mortgage payment every month. YIKES!!!!!
Anne Marie @ The Oklahoma Texan says
When we moved to Oklahoma for my husband’s new job, we found that our new insurance only covers 4 migraine pills a month. Seeing as I have chronic migraine and have had no success with preventives, I was FREAKING OUT. I researched online, and every pharmacy in my small town would cost me over $300/month out of pocket for GENERIC Imitrex. How insane is that?! My neurologist’s nurse back home alerted me to the lower cost at Costco. Unfortunately, the closest Costco or Sam’s Club is an hour away. I did a ton more research and discovered HealthWarehouse.com. It’s in the U.S., and it’s VIPPS certified, which is important when ordering drugs online. They only carry generics, but if you take Imitrex and do well on the generic version, it’s a great way to get it for less. I pay an average of $40/month for 18 pills. Huge savings and a blessing for us. My husband left a well-paying corporate job to work for a non-profit ministry we’ve been passionate about for years. Non-profits don’t pay all that well…
Tanya B. says
I had to buy our son a new epipen a few months ago as his had expired. Even with our insurance “discount” we paid well over $150. I saw about 2 weeks later that Walmart sells them for $40!! That taught me an expensive lesson in calling around first!
JenniF says
Dr. Oz just did a show about saving money on prescriptions last week.
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/how-get-free-prescription-meds
http://blog.doctoroz.com/in-the-news/free-program-helps-provide-affordable-prescriptions
Kristin says
Thank you for this post! I’m a member of Costco and didn’t even know they had a pharmacy. I just looked at their website and you can look up different drug prices. And my prescription is cheaper there! Going to have to make a switch…
Melissa says
My dog was diabetic and Walmart/sams club (same price) made it possible for me to afford her meds/supplies. Insulin N $25 a bottle and $13 for entire box of needles which is 100+ needles. Hope this helps someone 🙂
Monica says
Thank you so much for this post! We were on vacation And were blindsided when we took our 7 year old to the ER on the 4th of July this year thinking it was her appendix only to find out she had type I diabetes. It was a hard pill to swallow but knowing there was nothing we could do to prevent it made it a little easier to handle instead of instantly blaming myself. Saving on any prescriptions would be amazing because her hospital bills have added up quickly. Since her normal range is 80-150, they immediately transferred her by ambulance to a children’s hospital specialized in this since her level was at 409. So after spending time in the ICU and a regular room this post couldn’t have come at a better time! Thanks so much
Andrea says
Monica – look into State insurance for your child as well, and work with their endo to make sure you are getting products that are allowed by your insurance.
We were given an Accucheck monitor by JDRF, but we all hated it – it takes a huge amount of blood, the clicker freaked my son out (He was DXed on June 20th of this year). The Endo’s office gave us a Freestyle light – it takes the least amount of blood to test, is most accurate… we love it. Make sure that they are making sure that a prescription is covered before prescribing it.
Also, as at your local hospital/childrens’ hospital for any sort of a discount or financial assistance. Our local hospital offers financial assistance to all patients – you just have to apply. We received 75% off of our bill, and that included what we owed for deductible.
Finally, hang in there. You’re in the trenches right now like we are (I just got a call from school saying he isn’t eating his lunch), but you will get through it. Praying for you. If you want to, feel free to email me.
Need A Nap2 says
Our daughter was diagnosed type 1 5 years ago, she was in DKA as your daughter probably was too. I’m sorry you’re facing this. Please contact JDRF if you haven’t already. There is a lot of support there with others who have been down this road before.
We also had to ask for financial assistance from the hospital, we only paid the initial fee they asked from us (probably a deductible).
We don’t have the Freestyle meter right now, but I like that you can add blood to it instead of getting an error when there’s not enough blood. Be up front with your doctor asking for samples or cheapest products on your insurance plan.
You can come to my website and read about TrialNet, that was how I was diagnosed type 1 last year. Praying for you and your family, and other parents like Andrea and Debi. This is not an easy road to travel, but God’s grace is sufficient. 🙂
CBoozier says
LOVE our Sam’s pharmacy. Not only are the cheaper, but the staff is wonderful & remembers us. We only go there a couple of times per year and they still remember.
Vanette says
We don’t have insurance so everything is out of pocket. I always shop around. Sam’s is usually the cheapest. I priced my daughters asthma medication there the other day for $13/month. I was paying $60 at Wal-Mart and it runs $130 anywhere else. It defiantly pays to shop around. Since we live an hour away from the nearest Sam’s I asked the doctor to write the prescription for 90 days so I don’t have run every month. Also Meijer has several antibiotics for $.01.
Patty says
I never thought about shopping around for prescriptions. Thanks for posting this.
I pay $200+/mo out of pocket for a single medication with RiteAid. I’m definitely going to get on the phone and call around.
Lauren says
I have to second Sonja’s comment. Be very careful using multiple pharmacies. Always carry a complete list of your current medications and dosages and update the pharmacists about changes. Pharmacist can’t do our job (checking for drug interactions, appropriate dosing and therapy, etc, etc) if you fill your prescriptions at 7 different pharmacies. And also, if you have prescription insurance you may pay the same copay no matter where you go. Your insurance company might be the best place to start for information about pricing.
Rudi Pittman says
The amazing thing for me was where discount plans like GoodRX had the same or even cheaper than the price for the med under insurance. I don’t understand how they manage that but I’m sure not going to complain. I go with whichever is cheaper.
Sonja says
As a pharmacist, I don’t discourage looking around for cheaper prices. Independent pharmacies often have cheaper prices than chains like CVS and Walgreens and much better customer service if there is one in your area. I would add a word of caution: please tell the pharmacist every medication you are taking so they can be aware of drug interactions – even over-the-counter (OTC) meds and herbal products. It can be dangerous to get prescriptions at many different pharmacies if the pharmacists don’t know what you are taking.
Dana says
Sonja, I agree! Walgreens was going to charge me $50/month for my son’s medication. I called the local pharmacy and they only charged me $15!!! And he told me that he still makes money off the med. I cannot believe how much more Walgreens was going to charge me.
Andrea says
My son is also a Type 1 diabetic. I wish they’d do away with the “Type 2” label – it confuses people and it really isn’t diabetes: it’s INSULIN RESISTANCE. Anyway…
The biggest rub I’ve had is that many, many insulins that are used in the more aggressive therapies (He gets fast acting 3+ times a day – more if he has a treat like a cupcake, etc. And he gets Lantus once a day.) There are NO generics for medicines like Novalog, Humalog, Lantus, etc. So shopping around does me no good – my local pharmacy actually charged us more than our copay, whereas Walgreens was less. We were able to get rebates, and other “free when you buy!” coupons for our insulin from Walgreens. We never were able to get those coupons honored at our local pharmacy, which was frustrating. Even test strips (we go through 10 a day with school checking him) had a large fee at the local pharmacy – Walgreens? We pay nothing out of pocket. Not sure what the difference is there, and I’m sad to take my business out of the community, but that right there saved me almost $300 a month – the strips themselves are $500! And no, generic strips do NOT work as well…they are simply not as accurate, sadly enough. Same goes for the monitor.
Definitely shop around, and if you can, OP, see if your child qualifies for the state health insurance – we have a primary insurance, but added our State insurance as a secondary because the costs just add up so quickly!!
Lelia says
I am “insulin resistant” as you prefer it to be called. I use generic test strips and was unaware they are not as accurate. I’d like to find out more about it. Are you basing that on personal experience, doctor’s advisement, or some other source?
Need A Nap2 says
There are studies (especially recently) that the generic and some name brand meters and strips are not as accurate. But what is “accurate”? If my Wal-Mart Relion meter (about $16) and strips ($9/a box) say 90 and an accurate meter says 80, I think it’s accurate enough for saving $40 a month. I’m a type 1 diabetic but just developed it last year so for now the Relion is good enough for me. If you’re looking for the best store brand meter try Kroger (per my daughter’s endocrinologist) or the TrueTest/TrueTrack ones.
Vicki says
Type 2 Diabetes is diabetes…this is a small clip of an article from the ADA, please educated yourself as a person living with a diabetic, who cares for a parent who is a diabetic, and deceased family members who were also diabetic…Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes.
In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy. When you eat food, the body breaks down all of the sugars and starches into glucose, which is the basic fuel for the cells in the body. Insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells.
When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can cause two problems:
Right away, your cells may be starved for energy.
Over time, high blood glucose levels may hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart.
Tiffany says
My son has been Type-1 diabetic for 15 years now. He was diagnosed shortly after turning 1 and has always had a pretty demanding regimen, like your son.
The general rule of thumb is that the test result variance should be within 10% of each other to be considered “accurate.” After the insurances began rationing supplies, we had to go with the generic after our monthly supply had run out. But I agree, I prefer to use brand-name test strips as he is on the pump and his meter and pump are in sync with each other. The generic meters and strips are not downloadable in all endocrinologists offices, so it can be hard to track results and trends.
Allison says
Hi – I’m in the process of moving my prescriptions from our local pharmacy to Sam’s. I always liked having my prescriptions at the local pharmacy – they know my name and it’s personal and close by and they’re open 365 days a year But…I am in a financial crunch now – single mom and all. I haven’t transferred everything over yet but I calculated that I will save at least $200/month.
I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner – no regrets – I’m doing it now.
Erin K says
I’ve found that just buying over the counter meds (Allegra for me, Zyrtec for the kids) at Costco makes the membership fee worth it!
Jessica says
DEFINITELY! I have spring through fall pollen allergies, and my son is developing hay fever and has asthma. This year I got the generic for Zyrtec for adults and the liquid for children at Sam’s. It was about 20% the cost of the generic at any drug store, Target, the grocery store, or even Walmart. That purchase alone covered the membership fee!
Emily says
Definitely! I buy generic cetirizine (Zyrtec) at Sam’s Club – soooo much cheaper than anywhere else and works just as well.
Rudi Pittman says
If you have a “dollar tree” in your area they have now started carrying generics for allegra, zyrtec and claritin and these seem to work fine. I recently switched to using the allegra as it doesn’t make me as sleepy as the zyrtec did although both worked fine for my allergies….a $1 box of generic allegra is 5 tablets…..$1 of generic zyrtec was 20 tablets and I think $1 of generic claritin was 30 tablets. My problem was the allegra kept going out of stock because people bought it so fast. $6/boxes = 1 month supply. I finally found a deal on amazon to get 9 months worth for around $43 which is less than the $6 but not by much. Over 9 months it ends up $10 cheaper.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EOAMMMG/ref=pe_385040_30332190_pe_175190_21431760_3p_M3T1_ST1_dp_1
They sell it in smaller quantities but don’t provide free shipping which adds to the cost. Hope that helps someone.
1956okie says
We live in allergy country (Okla) and take antihistamines year-round. A few months ago, we started buying Kirkland’s generic version of Zyrtec on Amazon. You get 365 tablets/bottle for less than $20. Of course, got free shipping when I ordered two. I used to pay more than that for a MONTH’s worth for just one person! We’re all taking it now and find that it works just as well as brand-name Zyrtec or its equivalent. It will be our go-to source for long-acting allergy pills.
jj says
Also, for comparing prices, there is a good website called GoodRx. It also offers coupons which can be used at major retailers like CVS, Target, Walgreens, etc. I was a little wary of it at first, but haven’t had issues using it at Target.
Rudi Pittman says
I’ve been very impressed with GoodRX….it tells you the price of your medication at all the local stores and how much you’d save…in some cases they have “coupons” specific to one medicine you print off and take with you for the pharmacy to give you a pre-negotiated rate.
I plan to use them when hitting any sort of coverage gap as my current plan lets all generics be free but doesn’t really cover non generics. Also as you check your meds if you see the same pharmacy showing up over and over that may be the one to use for your particular situation….I found walmart was cheapest in alot of cases.
Carol says
I have been told that you DO NOT need a membership at Costco to use the Pharmacy and this maybe true for Sam’s too.
Jolene says
This also works with pet meds. We get our pet meds at Walmart about 80 dollars cheaper than at the vet.
Kendel says
I agree, I have a cat who is on daily meds and I get his meds at Costco 90 days worth for $12. Half of what it was at Walgreens and 3 times or so less then it was at the Vet. You can always call the pharmacies too to check prices. You can also get prescription flea and tick there too.
Ashley says
Thank you! I had no idea Sam’s even had a pharmacy, let alone that prices would be cheaper. I called to check on the price of my migraine medication and it’s substantially cheaper at Sam’s than at the store that I’ve been currently using! We don’t have prescription insurance and it’s not a cheap medication so I’m so happy about this new discovery!
Angel says
I wasn’t even aware that Sam’s had a pharmacy. I need to check this out!
jenn says
Not all Sam’s Clubs do. Our local Sam’s does not.
1956okie says
Thank you SO much for posting this today!! We just ran out of money in our flex account and will have to pay out-of-pocket for our prescriptions through the end of the year. With three asthmatics and a heart patient in the house, our maintenance med costs are really high–even with insurance. I’m definitely going to check with our Sam’s Club today!
The Prudent Homemaker says
One thing I like about the business membership at Sam’s Club is longer shopping hours! They are open earlier for business card members.
They recently raised the business membership price (it used to be $35 and the regular membership was $40; both went up to $45). It’s still worth it to me to have the business membership to have the longer hours.
Julie says
If you are fortunate enough to live near a Publix, they also offer select diabetic medications and antibiotics completely free! Here’s a link to their web page: http://www.publix.com/pharmacy/Free-Medications.do
Need A Nap2 says
While helpful information, the metformin that is free is usually a type 2 diabetes medication. Unfortunately, type 1 diabetes means taking insulin and I haven’t found any that is inexpensive.
Vicki says
Type 2 diabetics also take insulin. I have not checked into thoroughly but I have noticed in the Wal Mart ads that they carry a brand of tests strips that are super cheap and a few of the insulin is also cheap. Check there!
Samantha says
Thank you for this post. Also being Type 1 Diabetic, I have been looking around for ways to save on prescriptions. I had not yet checked Sams.
Karina says
I’m glad I was right. We have Tricare through my husband (military) so I get mine filled at the base pharmacy and don’t really know the in’s and out’s of using pharmacies. It’s great that Debi’s family will have an additionl $700 a year! That is some awesome shopping!
Mary says
I’m a big believer in shopping around for prescriptions. I have bipolar disorder,no health insurance, and my medications cost $200+ a month at Walgreens. But there is a national pharmacy (QOL) that specializes in mental health drugs (though you can fill anything there) and they have GREAT prices for my medications. I pay $20 a month there. I get almost a year’s supply for the cost of one month at Walgreens.
Tori Chauvin says
Where can I get info about that pharmacy? My mom has no insurance either and takes some expensive mental health meds.
Nichole says
Can you please list the URL or name of this site. Thanks!
Mary says
http://www.qolmeds.com
Hope that helps you guys. I know how bad it can be!
Christie says
I AM 100% sure you do NOT have to be a member to use the pharmacy. It’s a legal thing.
However, what this poster is saying might be an additional discount available through the business plus membership.
Karina says
I not 100% but I heard you could use the pharmacy at warehouse stores even if you don’t have a member ship due to some kind of law or something.
Kym says
Karina’s right. You do NOT need a membership to Sam’s Club or Costco to use their pharmacy. There is a law.
Erika says
You can use the pharmacy without a membership—at least in our state….not sure if nationwide.
However– with a business membership or a plus membership—you get an additional 40% off generic prescriptions and 8% off name brand prescriptions at both Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart pharmacies….so can easily be worth the membership.
Sam’s will take the cheaper of your health insurance OR the discount program.
The discount does not apply to the $4 prescription program….that is the lowest they can go on those.
Kym says
@Erika – You’re exactly right. And there are so many people who don’t think to shop around for prescriptions – I didn’t for many years. Once I discovered how much less is charged at the warehouses for ours, I transferred all of them.
Debi says
This is exactly why we went ahead and bought a Business Membership. It saved us the extra % and was totally worth it for how much we spend in prescription each year.
Also, since we had a Costco membership, we were just going to go with that; however, Sam’s will beat anyone’s prices by 3%. If you find it cheaper somewhere else, you just tell them and they will call to verify and then give you 3% less.