Why You’re Probably Overpaying for Prescriptions (and How to Stop)

Prescription drug prices in the U.S. can vary dramatically, often without explanation. The same medication might cost $80 at one pharmacy and $12 at another just down the street. If you’ve ever been surprised by the cost at checkout, you're not alone—many patients face the same uncertainty.

Why Prices Vary So Much

Lack of Price Transparency

Prescription drugs don’t come with consistent price tags. Depending on the pharmacy and whether you use insurance, the same medication can vary dramatically in price (Consumer Reports, 2018).

Different Cost Structures

Each pharmacy has unique overhead costs, supplier contracts, and business models that impact pricing.

Middlemen Driving Prices

Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) negotiate prices and rebates with drug manufacturers, but those savings often don’t get passed down to consumers. In fact, PBMs have been found to create massive disparities in drug prices across different systems, including Medicare (Wall Street Journal,2024).

Brand vs. Generic Pricing

Even generic drugs, which should be cheaper, can vary by up to 10 times depending on pharmacy contracts, location, and supply.

Just How Big Is the Gap?

A Consumer Reports investigation found prices for five common generic drugs varied by over $100 between pharmacies in the same zip code (Consumer Reports, 2018).

A CBS News report revealed that some medications can cost up to $2,000 more depending on where they’re filled (CBS News, 2023).

The Wall Street Journal found that Medicare pays vastly different prices for the same drugs—sometimes 10 times more than private pharmacy networks (Wall Street Journal, 2024).

How LASO Meds Helps

With LASO Meds, you can:

• Instantly compare pharmacy prices in your area
• Access discounts up to 90%, with or without insurance
• Use a digital Meds card at checkout
• Share the savings with your entire household

Final Thought

Prescription prices don’t need to be confusing or expensive. With tools like LASO Meds, you can skip the guesswork, find the lowest available price, and start saving right away.

References

Consumer Reports (2018). Prescription Drug Prices Can Vary Widely—Even Within the Same Zip Code. Retrieved from:https://www.consumerreports.org/drug-prices/prescription-drug-prices-can-vary-widely-even-in-same-zip-code

CBS News(2023). Prescription drug prices can vary by thousands of dollars depending onpharmacy. Retrieved from:https://www.cbsnews.com/news/prescription-drug-prices-can-vary-by-thousands-of-dollars-depending-on-pharmacy

Wall StreetJournal (2024). Medicare Pays Wildly Different Prices for the Same Drug.Retrieved from:https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/medicare-pays-wildly-different-prices-for-the-same-drug-b20fa58c

WellRx(2024). How Prescription Discount Cards Work. Retrieved from:https://www.wellrx.com/how-prescription-discount-cards-work

U.S.Pharmacist (2022). A Pharmacist’s Primer on Prescription Discount Cards.Retrieved from:https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/a-pharmacists-primer-on-prescription-discount-cards