Prescription Drug Prices: CVS Pharmacy or Wal-Mart?

Many people assume that prescription drug prices are the just about the same everywhere, and they look for places of convenience rather than searching for savings, but those without medical insurance and prescription drug coverage quite often have no other choice than to compare prices. It would seem that prescription drug prices should be the same when purchased from any major pharmacy, but surprisingly, the prices of prescription meds vary greatly from store to store.

I recently found this out when price checking my prescription medications. I currently don't have health insurance or prescription drug coverage, and when shopping around to compare prices, I was astounded at what I discovered. Like many others, I had no idea the difference in price could vary so greatly from store to store, and my discovery really paid off.

CVS Pharmacy

I usually fill my prescriptions at CVS Pharmacy in Ligonier Indiana because the location is convenient. Ligonier is approximately 10 miles from my home, and although that doesn't sound real convenient, Ligonier is the closest town with a pharmacy. It's easy to drop off prescriptions and shop at nearby stores until they're ready to be picked up. The wait time is usually at least 30 minutes, and the fact that the pharmacy is always very busy lent credence to my belief that all prescription drug retailers charge about the same price for the same prescription drugs.

I called CVS Pharmacy in advance to find out how much my medication would cost. I knew it was quite expensive, and without prescription drug coverage, having the money on hand would be necessary. I wasn't surprised when the first medication I inquired about sold for $73.59, and the second was $55.59. I was prepared to pay $129.18 - if I had to, but I wanted to call around to see if I could save a few dollars. Even a savings of $3.00 would buy an extra gallon of milk.

Wal-Mart Pharmacy