Editorials

When Margot Smith went shopping for medicine for a visiting relative, she was startled to find that different pharmacies charge greatly varying prices for drugs. Not content to simply purchase the cheapest drug for the relative, Smith, an active member of the Berkeley Gray Panthers, decided to take her discovery to a new level. 

She engaged her fellow Gray Panthers in a project to compare drug prices: They found Candis Poon, a graduate student in public health, to help. Poon went to various local drug stores and checked prices. 

“In general, the American Association of Retired Persons had the best prices for brand name drugs, and Costco had the best prices for generic drugs. However, AARP orders are taken over the Internet, so the drugs take time to arrive and one must pay shipping costs. Costco purchases are only available for members,” according to the Gray Panther report. “Longs Drug Store charges the most for brand name drugs, but offers a 10 percent senior discount.” 

Smith pointed out that seniors having Medicare don’t regularly take advantage of a law that kicked in one year ago. “The law requires that drug stores charge Medicare seniors the same price for drugs that MedicCal patients pay.”  

The report concludes “the moral of the story is that seniors must first ask the pharmacist for the MedicCal price and make sure it is lower than the asking price. Seniors must shop around for the best prices if they wish to save money on prescription.” 

The Gray Panther survey is available by calling the organization at 548-9696.