Which pharmacy do you get your meds from? And what about mail order vs picking them up yourself?

I'm actually wondering if it matters where I get my BP meds from. Like, do cheaper generics have less effect or something? I see that Sam's Club and Walgreens have cheaper meds than my CVS pharmacy. (Well, any pharmacy has cheaper meds than CVS.) Does CVS have a higher quality or something? Or are they just overpriced?

Sorry for so many questions

[HALLIEBETH87]

Walmart is where I go. It's just easy to go there

[Ocean Swimmer]

My insurance likes me to use Express scripts by mail. Very cheap. So easy. They just mail the refills too.

generics are identical to the name brands.

When a drug patent is taken out, for 'X' number of years the owner (brand) of that medication has the sole right to produce and sell it. Once that time runs out any pharma company can manufacture it. To remain competitive, the price is generally well under that of the name brand. The original manufacture is relying on brand recognition - and the misconception many people have - that it is better than the generic.

I get my prescriptions by the way only from a pharmacy. In my case, they organize and bubble pack them for me free of charge. I also feel there is less likelihood of mistakes being made. Finally, going to a pharmasist allows for discussion that you can't have via mail.

[usehername]

I go to Fred Meyer/Kroger (the same one for 10 years or so). Most of my meds are covered by Medicaid anyway, so I can't do the online thing. But they price match everywhere, and if they know you, you don't even have to ask. A really nice pharmacy employee actually paid for one of my needs this month because I couldn't afford it.

[Blue_Bird]

I get mine from CVS, they don't cost a thing except for one of them which is just $1

[bioChE]

Generics aren't identical to brand names. They contain the same exact active ingredient, but not necessarily the same fillers/formulations. In most instances this makes no difference between the brand and generic, but there are a few that make a difference for people.

I normally get generic if it's available, but one case where this didn't work was Wellbutrin. For whatever reason, the brand worked far better for me than the generic.

[Wander]

As I have a government concession card for prescriptions (so no need for shopping around for most meds, but that certainly pays off in Aus too for most people)

I get all my meds from the closest pharmacy to me, at the local shops about 10 minutes walk from my flat. By law my Ritalin script must be kept at the same pharmacy and I am not allowed access to it. I have to pick it the months supply up on 'exactly' the 30th day since I last picked up my script. It is what they call a 'Schedule 8' drug here - no mailing allowed.

[hopeless2015]

I do Walmart for mine, it's close to where I live and always do generics when available. Latuda is the only one I can't get generic but have a discount card and get it for $15

[usehername]

Originally Posted by Wander

As I have a government concession card for prescriptions (so no need for shopping around for most meds, but that certainly pays off in Aus too for most people)

I get all my meds from the closest pharmacy to me, at the local shops about 10 minutes walk from my flat. By law my Ritalin script must be kept at the same pharmacy and I am not allowed access to it. I have to pick it the months supply up on 'exactly' the 30th day since I last picked up my script. It is what they call a 'Schedule 8' drug here - no mailing allowed.

A couple of mine work something like that, too. I can pick up on day 28, but the perception cannot transfer because it's schedule 1 here.

[Moreta]

I switched to rite aid in april because my insurance would no longer cover CVS. I've gotten so many prescriptions filled I've reached gold status. haha. Now I get 20% off all non sale merchandise.

[Victoria'smom]

I go to walgreens because my insurance doesn't cover cvs anymore. Walgreen's has to order the circle lamictal for me because I'm a baby and can't take the diamond ones. They're always jerks about that to me.

[xRavenx]

I used to do mail order. I miss those days. It was so easy and always came on time, so I never ran out of meds. Now, I'm using Rite Aid since my new insurance does not do 90 day supplies/mail order. One of my meds is rarely in stock. They were not very helpful when I asked if they could keep it in stock or at least automatically have it in stock around the time I'm about to run out.

Plus, my insurance hasn't been letting me pick up my prescriptions a few days in advance, so they have me running down to the last pill. I want to get this straightened out. Maybe I should switch to Walmart or Walgreens. Hopefully when my insurance changes (which won't be for a while), it will cover mail order.

[pirilin]

Originally Posted by bluebicycle

Which pharmacy do you get your meds from? And what about mail order vs picking them up yourself?

I'm actually wondering if it matters where I get my BP meds from. Like, do cheaper generics have less effect or something? I see that Sam's Club and Walgreens have cheaper meds than my CVS pharmacy. (Well, any pharmacy has cheaper meds than CVS.) Does CVS have a higher quality or something? Or are they just overpriced?

Sorry for so many questions

a) Yes.
b) By law they can vary 10% up or down. The fillers are different.
c) CVS gives me a ton of coupons. Top quality milk for 2.69. Thats why they look overpriced.

[Nammu]

I use walgreens cause when I lived in TX they were. A few blocks away and if something happened to my car I could walk or take the bus. So when I moved back home to MN it was just easier to keep them than switch pharmacies. They mailed some meds to me in 3 month increments but one I can only get in person and have to pick up every month. I liked the one in TX. They knew me by sight and when I showed up they would get my meds ready. Here...I'm reserving judgment. I like that they have email alerts to let me know when to reorder my meds, to let me know if there's a delay and when the meds are ready. They also have a point card reward system, so for every script I fill I get pts. After so many points you get money towards a purchase. I always save up to the $50. Then I use that to buy OTC supliments when they are on sale 2 for price of 1.

Mum lives in the suburbs so all pharmacies are only accessible by car.

Don't know about the quality, I'm pretty sure most drug stores get their meds from the same few drug warehouses.

[scatterbrained04]

Originally Posted by Miguel'smom

I go to walgreens because my insurance doesn't cover cvs anymore. Walgreen's has to order the circle lamictal for me because I'm a baby and can't take the diamond ones. They're always jerks about that to me.

In all fairness, those diamond shaped lamictal are hard to swallow. I'd sure like to meet the people that thought diamond shaped was a good idea!?

[scatterbrained04]

I use Kroger. It's just convenient for me to be able to take care of meds on the weekends while I am grocery shopping.

[gayleggg]

I use cvs now but will be changing to Walmart after the first of the year due to insurance changes. Most of mine or generics except for Saphris and trintellix.

[Moose72]

I go to walgreens. They're usually good with refills and calling me. Sometimes they don't call that need a refill though.

[wiretwister]

use Kroger and do almost all refills over the phone ... they will call my pdoc for me if it is out ... never have run out because I cheat ... my insurance will let me refill at 25 days ... so I get ahead 5 days every month ... by the end of the year I can be over a month ahead ... I like to keep extra as prevents the fear I have always had of running out ... plus my pdoc has no memory at all ... if I see him every two months he sometimes writes for 4 ... they are holding 3 seperate scripts for my lamictal right now ... see him in feb but have enough rx to last till summer .... sometimes I skip appts and reschedules months later only going in when he stops refilling over the phone .... it is almost like self medicating ...

[JustJace2u]

My insurance is changing next year so I'm not sure, but I typically go to Walgreens.

Originally Posted by usehername

I go to Fred Meyer/Kroger (the same one for 10 years or so). Most of my meds are covered by Medicaid anyway, so I can't do the online thing. But they price match everywhere, and if they know you, you don't even have to ask. A really nice pharmacy employee actually paid for one of my needs this month because I couldn't afford it.

Wow, that's awesome! especially about that employee

Too bad there aren't either of those stores near me. The closest is Connecticut, which is too far away. Otherwise, I totally would have switched to that pharmacy right now

Originally Posted by Moreta

I switched to rite aid in april because my insurance would no longer cover CVS. I've gotten so many prescriptions filled I've reached gold status. haha. Now I get 20% off all non sale merchandise.

Seriously, 20% off?? I need to switch to them!

CVS is too expensive, so I can sort of understand why your insurance would stop covering it. It seems like there's practically no difference between CVS generics and other generics.