How do pharmacies make us waste money

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Drugs in the US are quite expensive, and in 2017, it is expected that their prices will rise by another 10-12%.

At the same time, pharmacies are trying to ensure that customers give them the largest possible amount of money, regardless of whether it is really necessary for health, the newspaper writes. Cheat sheet.

1. You are overpaying for drugs with known names.

4 from 10 Americans noted that their doctors never or extremely rarely recommend a specific active substance instead of drugs of famous brands. Therefore, patients often overpay for the name. If the doctor prescribes a prescription with an indication of the active substance, the client can find out if there are cheaper analogues of branded drugs.

2. You forget about competition

Drug prices are not regulated. As the patent for a drug expires, prices decrease, and the cost of medicines also decreases with the appearance of competitors on the market. Drugs that used to cost 400 dollars for a pharmacy for 100 tablets can now cost 10 dollars. But the price for a buyer accustomed to using insurance often remains the same. Therefore, before you make a purchase, check where and how much is the drug you need.

3. You ignore Walmart

Walmart does what others don’t want to do—reduces markup. Prices for medications are the same for all pharmacies that buy them. It’s just that few are willing to reduce prices for consumers, and Walmart doing this.

4. Your doctors are uneducated

As consumers, we believe that our doctors know everything, often accepting their recommendations and prescriptions without question. But often doctors do not have enough information about the interaction of different drugs, moreover, they do not always want to expand their knowledge. In 2012, the Food and Drug Administration ordered opioid drug manufacturers to conduct training courses on their use and effect to help doctors with their prescriptions. However, the three-hour online training course was not compulsory, and only 38 000 from 320 000 practitioners prescribing opioids subscribed to these classes.

5. You are taking unnecessary medication.

Regardless of the doctor’s education, we blindly go to the pharmacy after receiving the prescription. But modern doctors prescribe medications more freely than before. The study showed that at least 30% of antibiotic prescriptions prescribed by doctors on an outpatient basis were not needed, given the condition of the patient. According to the study, for acute respiratory infections, almost half of antibiotic prescriptions are excessive and hasty.

6. You spend money on meaningless drugs.

Certain bacterial infections require antibiotics, but some things disappear on their own. Talk to your doctor about what you really need before you take your prescribed medication. Usually ancillary drugs, such as those that promise to raise low testosterone, actually do more harm than good. Television commercials can convince people of the miraculous abilities of the drug, but advertising does not say that many drugs also increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

7. You choose unapproved herbal remedies.

With increasing interest in natural and herbal remedies, many pharmacies put these products right on the counter, hoping for an impulse purchase. But first, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) does not check these drugs, because officially they are not medicines. Manufacturers should instead sell them as food additives, not drugs.

Secondly, many pharmacists are not aware of the details of the effect of the drug and the various risks associated with its combination with other drugs. Some herbal remedies can cause serious side effects when taken with other medicines, and pharmacists recommend them without knowing these effects.

8. Pharmacists are contracted and will never tell you the real price of a drug.

Many pharmacists know the real price of the drug and the pharmacy cheat, but can not warn patients, because they are associated with contracts with pharmacies that oblige them to remain silent.

9. Medicines for chronic diseases are the most expensive.

Most often, drug prices are rising for people with asthma, high blood pressure or irregular heart rhythms. But this price increase applies only to consumers, not cost. Manufacturers and pharmacies know that the majority of patients suffering from these diseases will not leave the store without their medicines, regardless of the price. According to the survey, 81% of people suffering from chronic diseases are willing to pay for their medicines, regardless of the price.

10. You pay out of pocket

Since drug prices are not regulated, pharmacies may charge a price themselves. At the same time, retailers are trying to make money on patients who pay for drugs from their own pocket, and not according to the insurance plan. In these cases, people who pay for their drugs themselves will pay more than others, for them they will simply raise the price. Some Americans have no other options, and this is understandable, but before you pay for the medicines from your pocket, because you think this is the lowest price, ask the seller to confirm the cost of the drug.

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