I am so shocked at Walgreens!!!!

[dogday]

They are now financing medication... I could not believe what I was seeing... This is taking advantage people who can't afford to pay for their medication... Can it get any worse?

The minimum is 250.00, the maximum is 1,000.00

I am shocked.....

[senseandsensibility]

1. I have mixed feelings about this

If it helps some get medication that couldn't get it otherwise, I can see a benefit. However, I don't know what kind of interest they're charging. The real problem here is not Walgreen's, but our for profit healthcare system here in the US. We need universal healthcare for all.

[dogday]

8. The interest is high

48.00 for 250.00 loan is what they listed, I can't remember the other amounts.. I only saw this when I ordered my medication on line, when I went to check out, I saw it.

Most people who do this cannot pay to begin with, how do they make up what they borrowed and still maintain their medication monthly? It will be an ongoing event....

[senseandsensibility]

12. My feelings aren't so mixed now

that I've read your reply and the replies of others on this thread. If the interest is high, and if Costco can offer the drugs for ninety percent less, I'd day my feelings are one hundred percent negative now.

[Warpy]

2. I'm not

it's just more of the same old push to throw people into debt they can never pay off.

Walgreen's is just hoping enough of them kick off that they can make a tidy profit on the sale of their assets.

[liberaldemocrat7]

20. Walgreens gave $6,000 to Dennis Hastert in 2006 for reelection.

Yes that appears correct. They contribute to the GOP. Don't buy from Walgreens.

http://medicare.dmocrats.org

[Clark2008]

42. I'm sorry - I have to buy from Walgreens.

I don't have much choice around here.

And before you say "Costco," I wish. We don't have one within 300-500 miles.

[K8-EEE]

48. You can get Costco prescriptions by mail without being a member!

Go to Costco.com. I'll bet you could save some serious cash!! They also take insurance.

[MonkeyFunk]

46. How did they do that?

I thought corporations weren't allowed to contribute to candidates.

[Raven]

3. Now there is an ethical challenge! What happens when a person

can't make the loan payments? Do they withhold medication? Repossess someone's health? Foreclose on someone's life?

[Deja Q]

7. Nothing is forever. And even the Bible has more to say for the greedy than it does those in debt.

We have to go on faith that the stories of Jesus and the retribution against the greedy will actually happen, of course.


BTW: We're said to be a Christian nation. When will the corporate leaders start proving it? :evilgrin:

[Deja Q]

4. They get their generic brand drugs from India. They grossly inflate the price here.

As is for any tradeable commodity.

Once the global equalizes cost of living and cost of commodities will we truly be on level ground. Trouble is, that's going to hurt one group of people. And it's not America's middle class, who are currently hurting the most thanks to what is called but clearly cannot be "globalization".

[terrya]

5. Here we are, folks.

Prescription drugs available....and financing tells me that there are interest charges on this as well.

God, the health care system in this country is an obscenity.

[irish.lambchop]

6. So do they have to adhere to lending laws?

Wonder what their interest rate is? What happens if someone can't make their payment? Do they 'repossess'?

[IChing]

9. Walgreens drug profits vs Costco drug profits.

If Crack Dealers Took Lessons From Walgreens, They Really Would Be Rich



Many generic medications are too expensive for patients who must pay out-of-pocket. The cost of even generic drugs at pharmacy chains like Walgreens, Eckerd, and CVS are prohibitively expensive.

But two chains, Costco and Sam's Club, sold generics at prices far, far lower than other stores. Here are the comparative prices in Houston stores for 90 tablets of generic Prozac:

Walgreens: $117
Eckerd: $115
CVS: $115
Sam's Club: $15
Costco: $12
The price at Costco is almost 90 percent less than the same drug at Walgreens. But most patients assume the price is largely the same at any pharmacy.


http://www.freakonomics.com/blog/2007/03/15/if-crack-dealers-took-lessons-from-walgreens-they-really-would-be-rich/

[Buzz Clik]

29. Given the track record for Walmart, I'm am very skeptical.

Sams Club introduced this blockbuster program to get their pharmacy etched in everyone's brain. Let's see what happens in a year or two -- will the prices still be rock bottom, or will they make their way back to typical prices?

Walmart sells a lot of reasonable stuff for damned low prices. And while you're in the store, you can pick up ten tons of inferior shit that is worthless at any price. And let's not forget what has happened to various companies who allowed Walmart to sink their claws into them -- Walmart absolutely demanded lower prices or they'd dump all their products. The rest is history.

Watch your backsides, people. I don't trust these bastards.

[K8-EEE]

49. Repeat: Costco has mail order pharmacy for non-members!

Go to Costco.com....stop getting ripped off by these pharmacies who overcharge you and give BushCo and the Pukes a big cut of it! Costco is true blue -- value wise and politically!

[dogday]

52. I decided to go over there and look

man what a savings.. I am changing all my prescriptions to Cosco, I can't afford not to....

[K8-EEE]

53. Yay!!! I hope others do the same.

Costco is a corporation that reflects our values, it's a win-win to switch over!

[Fleshdancer]

10. I recommend never buying medication at Walgreens

if you go online and price check a drug at different pharmacies, Walgreens will almost always charge higher rates than everyone else.

[Sonicmedusa]

11. Do NOT buy drugs at Walgreens!

With the prices they charge, they NEED to offer financing. Read:


The physician started sleuthing, calling Walgreens, Eckerd Drugs, CVS, Sam's Club and Costco... asking each pharmacy its price for several popular generic drugs. What did he find when he asked about anti-depressants, anti-hypertensives, antibiotics?

"I was amazed." He says. "I just could not believe this."

Walgreens, Eckerd and CVS charged the most every time. Sam's Club was dramatically less and Costco was the cheapest of all.

Dr. Wolf said, "We're not talking about a couple of dollars. We're talking about anything from 50% to 80% less."

90 tablets of generic Prozac cost $117 at Walgreens, $115 at Eckerd and CVS but $15 at Sam's Club and $12 at Costco. That's $105 difference from top to bottom.

What about Metformin, a popular generic for diabetes? 180 pills are $110 at Walgreens, $106 at Eckerds, $113 at CVS, but $37 at Sam's Club and $33 at Costco. That's an $80 span.

These aren't flukes. 11 News Defenders checked prices for eight common generic drugs and the same pattern emerged, the same double, triple and quadruple prices.
http://www.khou.com/news/defenders/consumer/stories/khou031117_nh_upcloseprescription.168973b8.html

[WiseButAngrySara]

13. How can they get away with this? And how can Sam's and

Costco charge so much lower?

[gravity]

25. If insurance covers it, then the consumer just pays the copay

and the pharmacy collects the rest

[dogday]

32. Haven't you heard? Over 40 million people in

this country have no insurance... That's a large demographic to make money off of....

[gravity]

36. If no one had insurance, the prices would be a lot more competetive

The pharmacies right now are not very competetive because 85% of the population has insurance. They can have high prices for the drugs since the majority of the population will pay the $10 or so copay for the medication regardless where they go. The pharmacy might lose some money from the folks without insurance, but they are a small demographic compared to those with insurance.

Unfortunately those without insurance are getting screwed for the most part. The best solution would be to advocate national health care though, instead of just being pissed off at the pharmacies. The pharmacy's pricing is just a symptom of a greater problem in this country.

[cboy4]

14. This would be a mute subject if the pharmaceutical companies

weren't raping Americans per lies and outrageous costs.

But their lobbyists have congress by the you know whats, and so you have sky high prices.

Also, something needs to be done about how long the pharmaceutical companies can hold on to patents.

I'm paying a crazy amount of money for a migraine drug (Imitex) that's been protected from going generic for a decade and a half. :wtf:

So while this Walgreens financing situation raises red flags, I'm angrier at plenty of other people first for creating the need for pharmacy financing.

[dogday]

15. Same with me, except mine just went Generic

last year, but the cost is only a few dollars less... It's still mighty expensive... I was disappointed.. I thought once it went Generic, it would be much less... Silly me :shrug:

[cboy4]

18. Is it a migraine drug, and if so, could I ask what it is?

I'm happy you're paying a little bit less...better the difference stays with you than go to the cash register! :)

[dogday]

19. No it is an anti-seizure medication

that I use for post-hepatic shingles pain... It's a bitch.....

[cboy4]

21. Ughh. Shingles. Poor thing.

:(

[dogday]

31. On my left arm and wrist area

One of the most sensitive areas on the body, the wrist, and mine became infected, sores turned black and it took a year for them to heal... I have no immune system to speak of...

Time has helped, but the sharp pain and numbness still linger....

[kestrel91316]

24. I googled lysine and shingles for you:

http://www.google.com/search?q=lysine+post-herpetic+shingles&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1

Lysine is a miracle "drug" for my herpes cold cores (and canker sores, too). I got trigeminal neuralgia from the herpes simplex virus living in my face a few years ago and WISH I HAD BEEN ON LYSINE THEN, it would have been a lot less severe or maybe never happened.

Chicken pox/shingles is also a herpesvirus so I wonder if lysine would be as effective for IT.

[kestrel91316]

26. Delete. READ references before posting, kestrel! Shingles IS a herpesvirus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shingles

[BuddhaGirl]

35. my MIL uses lysine for her shingles to great results!

She told her doctor about it - the doctor just rolled her eyes because my MIL did not want to take some drug she prescribed.

Lysine was a godsend for her.

[kestrel91316]

44. As I suspected.

[uppityperson]

41. avoid chocolate and nuts when you have shingles/herpes

amino acids are in pairs which balance each other (think of 100 bits, if a food had 35 "A" it has 65 "B"). Chocolate and most nuts have more of the amino acid (arginine) that makes it easier for herpes to have an active outbreak in your body. Lysine is the other amino acid (complement of arginine) so taking free lysine can help. Avoid

http://www.herpes.com/Treatment.shtml
Supplementation with free-form lysine has shown to be beneficial in controlling herpes along with a diet high in lysine and low in arginine.

What foods are high in lysine and low in arginine?

Fish, chicken, beef, lamb, milk, cheese, beans, brewer's yeast, mung bean sprouts and most fruits and vegetables have more lysine than arginine, except for peas. Gelatin, chocolate, carob, coconut, oats, wholewheat and, white flour, peanuts, soybeans, and wheatgerm have more arginine than lysine.

[kestrel91316]

45. Chocolate, nuts, AND CITRUS, lol. Which is why I always get

canker sores at Christmas.

All the fudge and nuts and winter citrus sitting around to snack on......

[uppityperson]

56. Christmas and Easter, lots of chickenpox & herpes around those times.

[Raine]

51. My aunt had shingles and took Lysine for them

and it really work for her.

[dogday]

54. Thank you for that, I wished I would of had it

when the shingles was active... Now I am left with the nerve damage of my left arm...

It has been said although rare, shingles can repeat itself, I will remember what you have said and get it, if I have another attack.. I hope I never do, it is so painful.....

Thanks again :hi:

[MisterHowdy]

16. Looking forward to seeing "Sicko" now.

Profiting on peoples ill health is unethical.
After reading posts like this I am looking forward to seeing "Sicko"

[Viva_La_Revolution]

17. Doesn't surprise me, I used to work for them

This was back in the day when we still used price tags.
Everytime the price of a product went up, we had to change the prices of the items ALREADY on the shelf. Even if it was 6month old stock. You would use a cigarette lighter to warm up and melt the glue, peel off the old sticker and put on the new one.
Profit was THE motive of Management.

[philosophie_en_rose]

22. That's just disgusting.

Score one for Target, Costco, and even Walmart for keeping the costs down.

I will not shop at Walgreens. People need medication, but it can be provided (while still making a profit) without preying upon people in desperate need.

[emilyg]

27. agree.

[Brigid]

23. Only in the US . . .

would this even be thinkable. Yeah, we have the world's greatest health care system, all right. :eyes:

[gravity]

28. They are just providing a service to people

It's not taking advantage of anyone, and if you don't like the policy, then don't shop at Walgreen's. People have to choose if they want to take the financing plan, and if it's in their best interest, then they will choose it.

[dogday]

30. There is no choice when it comes to your medication

It is not like a couch, you need it, it is a must in your life... To take advantage of that is wrong.. People have to have their medications, and I see them doing this on a month to month basis and never being able to get out from underneath their debt and Walgreens makes a profit off of it...

[gravity]

33. The problem is with high prescription costs in general

Walgreens is just providing a service that helps people deal with the problem. If people feel like they are being advantage of, they have the choice to go to another pharmacy.

[philosophie_en_rose]

37. With your logic, there should be no consumer protection laws.

Walgreen's policies are predatory and are targeted at people who may not actually know that they are being exploited. You tell me whether someone needing psychiatric medication or other medication is always going to be competent to sign a financing contract.

Walgreens is acting in bad faith to fool consumers into accepting their outrageous prices. They make it seem like there is no other choice but to go with the financing.

[gravity]

40. How do you know if a person is being taking advantage of?

There is nothing inherently wrong with financing

The outrageous prices are also set by pharmaceutical companies too, and there might not be any lower priced prescriptions available at any other pharmacy.

[qdemn7]

34. I'm not....

This MAY be an effort to allow people to take high cost medications that their HMO does not cover.

As an example, my HMO does not cover the cost of Lamasil 250 mg tablets used to treat nail fungus. A course of treatment runs 6-12 weeks and is going to cost $500 to $1000 for the meds.

[philosophie_en_rose]

38. Not really.

This is like those payday loan places, which charge 800% interest on small loans.

Except it's worse, because there is no reason to inflate the prices.

[krispos42]

39. How they repossess...

[Vinca]

43. OMG - what an orgasmic coupling of 2 vile industries: big pharma

and credit cards. Grandma hasn't got a chance of keeping her house now.

[Sanctified]

47. On one hand yeah charging interest on medication sucks...

On the other hand telling someone to go die in a ditch because they don't have the money up front is worse.

[durablend]

55. If they don't pay the bill they may end up dying in the ditch!

Like a few others had posted, I wonder just what is in the terms and conditions of the credit agreement re: "real property", should the bill not be paid

[BlooInBloo]

50. lol! Getting in on the MoneyTree action - genius! Evil bastards.

[MzNov]

57. Remember that Walgreens' pharmacists were some of the first

to DENY birth control prescriptions to women!! Just because it was against their personal beliefs.

I have not set foot into a Walgreens since then.

:grr:

[dogday]

58. I had forgotten about that

I am changing drug stores... No more Walgreens for me...