The medicines checked were an antibiotic called Zithromax, an anti-depressant called Paxil, Vasotec for high blood pressure and Lipitor, which lowers cholesterol. The study showed that if you shop around you can save significant amounts, depending on what drug you use. The price difference with Vasotec was even more dramatic. In general the small drug stores were more expensive than the pharmacies you find inside the big discount chains. At Maitland Drugs, pharmacist Linda Ewing said that there is a reason for the difference in price.
Big stores buy in volume and get better prices.
Conveniences like shorter wait times and the personal touch are attractive, especially to an older population. NewsChannel 2 found big price differences on the Lipitor and Zithromax, as well. Meredith recommends that after you call around to check prices, you should give your current pharmacy a chance to match the best price. If it won't, two chain stores will Wal-Mart and Kmart. Another thing to keep in mind is that all pharmacies in the same chain don't necessarily have the same prices.