Generic Drugs - Buy Locally and Shop Around

Although Canadian pharmacies can offer substantial savings on brand-name prescription drugs, the same cannot be said for generic drugs. A lot of times, it is cheaper and/or more convenient to purchase generic drugs locally. Before buying generic drugs at a Canadian pharmacy, be sure to check out independent local pharmacies and discount chains such as Costco.

When buying locally, it pays to shop around.

The New York StateWide Senior Action Council Survey of Generic Prescription Drug Prices in the Capital District found large variations in prices. They found that an independent pharmacy in Albany offered the lowest prices for generic drugs and that chain drug stores with high volume purchases do not necessarily pass the savings on to consumers. You can read their conclusions here and the actual data collected in this price comparison chart (Warning: PDF).

Investigative reporter Steve Wilson wrote an excellent article about prescription drug markups and also provided a price comparison chart.

Another article, Shop Around For Good Drug Prices, also found that some pharmacies make big profits on generic drug markups.