10 August 2009

Prescription prices

| Dazzlar
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So I just went and priced a prescription at my local pharmacy and they told me $65.00. Another pharmacy has told me

$47.50.

Where in Canberra do you get your medications from or should I try on line?

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Master_Bates4:08 pm 11 Aug 09

Dazzlar said :

The highest price I got was $67.95 and the lowest was $47.50, such a rip off! Too bad if you had no means of transportation to get you to another chemist and had to rely on the one in your local shopping centre.

I don’t see that as a rip off at all – It is simple supply/demand – the thing that keeps the economy operating. Buyer beware..

Remember – You don’t have to accept the terms of the first offer, you can look around. (As has been clearly demonstrated by this thread)

Oh – that’s right – Most of us Public Servants are used to simply taking whats offered.

Hmmmmmmmm

Thanks for all your suggestions, I’ve rung around and the place at Gowrie is the cheapest. Hours are 8.30am – 7pm Mon to Fri and 9am – 2pm on Saturdays. I do my shopping on a Sunday but I’d be willing to go on a Saturday to get the discount!

The highest price I got was $67.95 and the lowest was $47.50, such a rip off! Too bad if you had no means of transportation to get you to another chemist and had to rely on the one in your local shopping centre.

Priceline Pharmacy at Queanbeyan. A four week supply of one particular medication cost just a tiny bit more than a two week supply from any of my local pharmacies.

Because it’s located in the real world they also keep better hours.

Deceased estates.

V twin venom8:19 am 11 Aug 09

The Rebels MCC do some wonderful things with pseudoephedrine. A bit on the expensive side though.

Macquarie Discount Pharmacy have always been cheap, good, efficient, pleasant, friendly and helpful in my experience.

Basically if you want the Pharmacy Guild certified smile and special treatment, go to the mainstream chemists. If you just want some medication, use Chemist warehouse, Gowrie/Macquarie etc. I have found the Colbee Ct chemist is good for scripts but seems pricey for the over the counter stuff, but they are open until 10pm.

Working in Woden, I just drop off scripts at Chemist Warehouse in the morning and pick them up at lunchtime.

Just compared pharmacy direct online with Chemist warehouse. They don’t have the right dose for one of my medication. The half strength which they did have together with the other one I take was $45 compared with $50 a month. Not worth the effort for me, I’ll stick with CW.
I actually leave my script with them and just go in when I need to, ask them to fill it and go back in 1/2 hour.

anu bar? ; )

The Gowrie/Macquarie lot are good at prices but the hours and service are less wonderful. Used to save up prescriptions (in the days when I travelled and there were may medications needed) and go to a Sydney pharmacy called Cincotta’s. Ridiculously cheaper than anywhere in Canberra at the time.

canberratowie28:15 pm 10 Aug 09

I got a script filled at capital chemist at wanniassa a few weeks ago at the cost of $48.50 when I get the repeat script filled at the chemist at Colbee court medical center $19.00

I’m not sure what there other prices are like but I know after that I’ll never go back to capital chemist

Chemist Warehouse Woden.

Antibiotics last time I was sick were about $8 there, when I paid $16 for the first course from Manuka (yeah, overpriced.. but I was sick and wanted to go home). Plus my regular contraceptive pill is less than half the price at Chemist Warehouse than from Priceline…

Yeah, the waiting time is long. Drop it in, do some grocery shopping and come back.

(you can greet great priced paracetamol there though! and panadeine.. and every other “pharmacy only” drug… )

SpellingAndGrammar7:27 pm 10 Aug 09

Definitely the Chemist Warehouses or Pharmacy Direct Online for cheap scripts. You can often find a difference of between $10 to $20 for scripts between these ones and your average local.

Beware the Chemist Warehouses though – they make you wait an interminably long time in the store so that you buy heaps of their other stuff too. Make sure you have at least 20 minutes to spend waiting around…

Pharmacy direct online has by far the cheapest cost for mr igglepiggles private script by nearly 50%

If the drug is not on the PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) then a) the relevant board has not seen it worth subsidising and b) the Pharma company can charge what it likes, so each chemist will be able to decide a price based on the usual supply demand etc.

Try Chemist Warehouse in Woden or Discount Pharmacy in Macquarie .

I go to Gowrie pharmacy on the Southside. They seem to be consistently cheaper than anywhere else. Not the greatest opening hours though…

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