Comparing drug sold in different pharmacies
Prevacid is one of the prescription drugs with a generic available. Prevacid falls in the class of proton pump inhibitors and is mainly used in the treatment of abdominal conditions that develop following excessive acidic state. Its generic is lansoprazole and is mainly available in various pharmacies. The brand (Prevacid) will be compared with the generic name (lansoprazole) regarding prices as well as preparation from different pharmacies (Drugs.com, 2017). These pharmacies include CVS which is a Large Chain Pharmacy; Krogers that is a Grocery store as well as Target that is a pharmacy linked to “big box”.
Cash Price at CVS Pharmacy
Prevacid is available at CVS Pharmacy in packages of 30 capsules with each capsule containing 30mg. The cost of the brand at CVS is $440.61 (GoodRx, Inc., 2017). On the other hand, lansoprazole is the generic drug for Prevacid that is available in the packages of 30 capsules each containing 30mg per capsule. The cost of the generic is sold at the retail standard price of $150 at this pharmacy. Additionally, the over the counter price is greatly reduced to a higher percentage. The price of over the generic counter drug is $35.06 at the CVS Pharmacy (GoodRx, Inc., 2017).
Cash Price at Kroger Pharmacy
In Kroger Pharmacy, Prevacid brand is available in packages of 30 capsules each containing 30mg. The price of this preparation is $432.15 denoting a lower price compared its price in CVS Pharmacy. On the other hand, the price of the generic form of Prevacid (lansoprazole) in Kroger Pharmacy is $80 which denotes a lower price of the generic in Kroger Pharmacy than in CVS Pharmacy (Lugg, 2014). The over the counter form of the generic drug is even cheaper compared to the retail price since it is $20.08.
Cash Price at Target Pharmacy
Prevacid is available in packages that contain 30 capsules each containing 30mg. The price of the brand is $432.99 which denote a slightly higher price than that in Kroger Pharmacy (GoodRx, Inc., 2017). However, the brand is cheaper in Target Pharmacy compared to CVS Pharmacy. On the other hand, Iansoprazole is the generic form of the Prevacid available in Target Pharmacy. It is available in packages of 30 capsules each in a preparation of 30mg. The average price of the generic sold in the retail form in this pharmacy is $147 that depicts a price that is lower than the cost of the brand in the same pharmacy (GoodRx, Inc., 2017). The price of the generic that is sold over the counter is $22.05 which is a bit expensive compared to the price at Kroger Pharmacy. However, this price is lower in Target Pharmacy compared to the price at CVS Pharmacy.
From the above comparison, it is evident that the price of the drugs at the various pharmacies vary. The prices of the brand are constantly high in all the pharmacies despite the fact that it is cheapest at Kroger than in both Target and CVS. Likewise, the generic form of Prevacid (Ianprazole) is cheaper in all the pharmacies compared to the cost of the brands. The brands are sold in the in the retail stores as prescription and can be sold as over the counter drugs. Conversely, the generics are available mainly as over the counter preparations. Both the brand and the generic form of the drug are available in different forms and packaging, but they are mainly available as capsules.
References
Drugs.com. (2017, March 2). Prevacid Uses, Dosage & Side Effects – Drugs.com. Retrieved from https://www.drugs.com/prevacid.html.
GoodRx, Inc. (2017). Prevacid Prices and Prevacid Coupons – GoodRx. Retrieved from https://www.goodrx.com/prevacid?form=capsule&dosage=30mg&quantity=30&days_supply=&label_override=Prevacid
Lugg, E. (2014, November 15). CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid vs. Target, Walmart, Kroger | Cheapism. Retrieved from http://www.cheapism.com/pharmacies/#pharmacy-rewards-and-shopping-experience
