-WJLA Script-

Anchor:
TONIGHT 7 ON YOUR SIDE EXPOSES VAST DIFFERENCES IN PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES AT MAJOR RETAILERS.

IT COULD SAVE YOU THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS A YEAR AND CHANGE THE WAY YOU BUY YOUR DRUGS.

ROSS MCLAUGHLIN LED OUR INVESTIGATION.

Ross McLaughlin: 
WE CONDUCTED OUR OWN SURVEY AND THE RESULTS ARE STARTLING. CONSIDER THIS.. 400 DOLLARS AT ONE STORE...21 DOLLARS AT ANOTHER FOR THE SAME PRESCRIPTION. IT MAY BE CONVENIENT TO DO ALL YOUR SHOPPING IN ONE PLACE BUT A WALDORF WOMAN HAS VOWED NEVER TO DO THAT AGAIN.

 

Story: 
Rachel Wilt:"I got the prescription originally from the Super Giant."

THIS.. A HEART MEDICATION CALLED SOTOLAL. AND SHE'D BEEN PAYING THE SAME PRICE FOR YEAR.

Ross: "And what would that cost you a month?

Rachel Wilt:"97 dollars and 54 cents per month."

RACHEL WILT DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT UNTIL SHE DISCOVERED THE SAME THING AT WALMART FOR JUST 8 BUCKS. SHE COULD HAVE SAVED ALMOST 11 HUNDRED DOLLARS IN A YEAR.

Rachel Wilt:"I don't want others to make the same mistake that I did."

DAVID GROSS FROM AARP HEARS IT ALL THE TIME.

David Gross: "Consumers don't shop around a lot they don't think about these prices varying from pharmacy to pharmacy."

BUT OH DO THEY EVER! WE SHOPPED 5 COMMONLY PRESCRIBED DRUGS AT 10 DIFFERENT STORES. SOTOLAL RANGED IN PRICE FROM 8 DOLLARS AT WALMART TO 117 DOLLARS AT RITEAID. THE GENERIC EQUIVALENT OF THE SLEEP AID AMBIEN, WAS 21 DOLLARS AT COSTCO BUT A WHOPPING 397 DOLLARS AT TARGET. OR HOW ABOUT METFORMIN? A DIABETES MEDICATION..AS LOW AS 10 DOLLARS AT COSTCO BUT A GIGANTIC JUMP TO 80 DOLLARS AT GIANT.

Rachel Wilt:"Everyone is too trusting."

RACHEL COMPLAINED TO GIANT AND GOT THIS RESPONSE. "We believe our price for this product is competitive."

WHILE GIANT MAY HAVE CHARGED MORE FOR SOTOLAL IT WAS THE ONE OF THE CHEAPEST FOR THE ANXIETY MEDICATION LORAZEPAM...CHARGING JUST 11 DOLLARS WHILE RITEAID DEMANDED 66 DOLLARS FOR THE SAME THING.

David Gross: "Oh yeah it's very complex."

HE SAYS PHARMACIES MAY LOSE MONEY ON ONE DRUG WHILE MAKING UP PROFITS ON ANOTHER. THE PROBLEM..THEY DON'T OFTEN POST THEIR PRICES. YOU HAVE TO ASK. WHICH IS WHAT WE DID. OVERALL OUT OF THE TEN STORES WE SHOPPED FOR THE SIX PRESCRIPTION DRUGS RITEAID WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE AT 14 HUNDRED DOLLARS FOLLOWED BY TARGET AND SAFEWAY.

THE LEAST EXPENSIVE, COSTCO AT 724 DOLLARS, FOLLOWED BY SAM'S CLUB AND WALMART...WHICH IS WHY FROM NOW ON RACHEL WILT WILL SHOP AROUND.

Rachel Wilt:"Do the comparison shopping."

 

Ross McLaughlin: 
GIANT HAS NOW DROPPED THE PRICE ON RACHEL WILT'S PRESCRIPTION BY ABOUT 20 DOLLARS. WHETHER YOUR PRESCRIPTION IS FOR YOU, OR FOR YOUR PET, IT CAN BE WORTH YOUR WHILE TO GET THEM AT DIFFERENT STORES BUT IF YOU DO MAKE SURE YOU TELL THE PHARMACIES WHAT OTHER DRUGS YOU ARE TAKING.