Online chart: Pittsburgh prescription drug price survey results

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Online chart: Pittsburgh prescription drug price survey results

Thursday, April 20, 2000

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The eleven drugs and their most commonly prescribed dosages were Fosamax (10mg, 100 tablets), Lipitor (10 mg, 100 tablets), Novasc (5 mg, 90 tablets), Pepcid (20 mg, 30 tablets), Prevacid (30 mg, 100 capsules), Prilosec (20 mg, 30 capsules), Rezulin (400 mg, 30 tablets), Tegretol (200 mg, 120 tablets), Ticlid (250mg, 30 tablets), Zocor (20 mg, 60 tablets), and Zoloft (50 mg, 100 tablets).

Prescription drug

Use

Median retail price
for seniors Price paid
by federal government programs Price differential for seniors and the disabled who pay retail
Fosamax Osteoporosis $229 $114 101%
Lipitor Cholesterol $206 $126 63%
Norvasc Blood pressure $124 $65 91%
Pepcid Ulcer $58 $38 53%
Prevacid Ulcer $390 $144 171%
Prilosec Ulcer $122 $61 100%
Rezulin Diabetes $161 $84 92%
Tegretol Epilepsy $61 $40 53%
Ticlid Stroke $78 $33 136%
Zocor Cholesterol $227 $68 234%
Zoloft Depression $239 $120 99%
Average price (mean) $172 $81 112%
Source: Citizen’s Consumer Justice