AG Sorrell’s Website
Compares Drug Prices

Atty. Gen. William H. Sorrell announced this week that he has created an interactive website for consumers to find retail prices of their prescription drugs at Vermont pharmacies.

"Give consumers good information and they can make smart buying decisions," he told the legislature in demonstrating the website. "As the already-high cost of drugs goes even higher, this comparison shopping tool should be a great help to price conscious Vermonters."

The prescription drug price finder can be found at:
www.atg.state.vt.us/display.php?smod=185,

It uses "usual and customary" retail price data that pharmacies submit to the state when they certify their prices for Medicaid reimbursement.

The prices will be updated monthly.

The website allows consumers to search, by county or by town, for the prices of the most popular prescription drugs in Vermont. There are approximately 90 prescription drugs listed on the website.

Sorrell cautioned that the prices are not necessarily those that a consumer would be charged at the pharmacy because the prices are from one to two months earlier, and because many drugs are discounted for different classes of consumers.

The website demonstrates that retail prices for pharmaceutical products vary widely in Vermont. For the month of May, for instance, the website indicates the following price disparities in Vermont:

• Advair Diskus (for asthma): 60 doses of 250-50 mcgs range from $176.90 to $233.13 in Chittenden County, a price spread of 31.7%.

• Lipitor (for high cholesterol): 30 pills of 20 mgs range from $112.31 to $153.55 in Rutland County, a 36.7% spread.

• Nexium (for stomach acid): 60 pills of 40 mgs range from $279.95 to $366.76 in Windham County, a 31% spread.

• Albuterol (for asthma): 17 doses of 90 mcgs range from $12.41 to $41.72 in Washington County, a 238% price spread.

"With price differentials like this, it makes sense to comparison shop for prescription drugs," said Attorney General Sorrell. "With our new prescription drug price finder website, consumers will be able to use price as one factor in choosing their pharmacy."