Wow, really??

[GH85Carrera]

I was just scrolling through web site with some ads, trying to ignore ads as usual.

The scroll wheel stopped on an ad that said Viagra is $65 per pill, and they of course had the same type of product for just $2 per pill.

I have never explored the cost of Viagra as I don't take it. Is it really anything close to that expensive? Wow.

I know my dad had some medication for his heart that was about $1,500 per pill but it was some special treatment to keep him alive.

[svandamme]

that heart pill only costs 1500 USD because of private insurance...
I bet same pill in certain European countries probably costs only a fraction of that.

Unless it's a pill that is really for extremely rare conditions that only a hunderd people have world wide, eg where there's no possibility to write off the R&D. And it's so brand new it's barely passed FDA inspection, if at all it has.


No idea what official viagra price is here, it's a prescription drug and i'm not prescribed any, nor do i need it..

But it sure as hell ain't 65 dollars by any currency exchange, per pill

[SiberianDVM]

Prescription name brand Sildenafil (Viagra) runs about $18-20 a pill, for the 100mg size. Generic Sildenafil is about $1 a pill for the 20mg size.

I'm not embarassed to know. Hell, I'm almost 70.

[GH85Carrera]

I figured the ad was BS, I can't imagine many guys would pay that much for the pill.

So the generic is a buck per pop so to speak.

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by SiberianDVM

Prescription name brand Sildenafil (Viagra) runs about $18-20 a pill, for the 100mg size. Generic Sildenafil is about $1 a pill for the 20mg size.

I'm not embarassed to know. Hell, I'm almost 70.

I am in my 50's do not have E.D. but have tried the generic 20mg for fun. They say 80-100 mg per does, 40mg turns me into an 18 year old again.

Sent a few packets to a friend who is in his 30's and under a lot of pressure... how to put this gently. He has to take care of two. I will stop there.

He reported back the same, 40mg and its like your in HS again. His experience was like mine, if I take 2 pills in the evening, I am still feeling residual effects the next morning.

You know what they say, when in Rome do as the Roman(s) would do. l

[MBAtarga]

Originally Posted by SiberianDVM

Prescription name brand Sildenafil (Viagra) runs about $18-20 a pill, for the 100mg size. Generic Sildenafil is about $1 a pill for the 20mg size.

I'm not embarassed to know. Hell, I'm almost 70.

GoodRx - Sildenafil 100mg - $15/30 tablets at Kroger - thats 50 cents/tablet - which are easily broken in half for 50mg doses so thats 25¢ for a screw.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by SiberianDVM

Prescription name brand Sildenafil (Viagra) runs about $18-20 a pill, for the 100mg size. Generic Sildenafil is about $1 a pill for the 20mg size.

Try Good RX. A phone app.

30 100mg tablets, generic, circa $21 for all 30. No insurance.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by MBAtarga

GoodRx - Sildenafil 100mg - $15/30 tablets at Kroger - thats 50 cents/tablet - which are easily broken in half for 50mg doses so thats 25¢ for a screw.

Missed your post. +1

Doc told me Pfizer/Viagra lost their lock on FDA not permitting cheap generic to be sold only last year. Pretty good run.

[wdfifteen]

Drug pricing is insane. I take a drug that is $1400 for the name brand. CVS sells a generic for about $900. CVS with a Good Rx coupon is about $300. Good Rx at Kroger pharmacy is $17.

[1975porsche]

My work medical plan covers them if I wanted them.

[Esel Mann]

Originally Posted by 1975porsche

My work medical plan covers them if I wanted them.

my prediction is you are now gonna have new bff's popping up (like that? hehe) from here, rennlist, ferrarichat, n a coupla gardening forums.

[MBAtarga]

From my experience, CVS seems to have high prices compared to other options (Kroger, Publix, Costco, etc) in my area. And my medical benefit for prescriptions is actually the CVS plan! I was paying cash using GoodRx for some medication the previous few years - since it was less (much!) than using my drug "benefit" on my policy and paying only the co-pay. And that even included the 90 day by mail option which is supposed to be the best value.

And can someone explain just how GoodRx operates to save money? Even my General Practitioner can't figure it out.

[wdfifteen]

More drug insanity.
I went to Kroger to get my prescription filled. The last time I filled it it was $17. I did not have a new Good Rx coupon because the last time I went there my old one was apparently still valid. They just sold it to me the second time for the same $17. This time the price was $107. They told me maybe if I had a new Good Rx coupon it would be cheaper. So I drove home an downloaded a new coupon.
Yep, cheaper, $13.97 vs $107.



This is what Good Rx would get you in the way of pricing. What the hell? It's a generic drug, like a generic 120 hp 4 door sedan. How the hell would a car dealer stay in business if his basic 4 door sedan appliance cost 10 times as much as the 4 door sedan appliance from dealer down the street? Why is there no competition for drug sales?
I want to be able to download a Good Rv coupon and lower the price of a diesel pusher by 96%.
I feel sorry for the people who don't have the knowledge, time, or resources to shop for things like drugs and health care. It's a jungle out there.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by MBAtarga

And can someone explain just how GoodRx operates to save money? Even my General Practitioner can't figure it out.

This is the best explanation I have been able to find. It doesn't really explain why a $315 drug can be sold for $13 unless the $315 was usurious to begin with.

https://www.quora.com/How-does-GoodRx-make-money?share=1

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by SiberianDVM

Prescription name brand Sildenafil (Viagra) runs about $18-20 a pill, for the 100mg size. Generic Sildenafil is about $1 a pill for the 20mg size.

I'm not embarassed to know. Hell, I'm almost 70.

In about 2000, we were out skiing with our Ski Club. We got ourselves attached to one of the "old coots", better than 80 years old. We went down a double-black diamond at Killington. He was slower and determined, but had not much trouble.

The other guys says: "If I'm half as good a skier at 80, I'll be happy"

The 80 year looks at us and said: "You know that Viagra stuff? It works." And then just shut up.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

This is the best explanation I have been able to find.

Thanks for the link. This has baffled me since my MD turned me onto it over a year ago.

Every pharmacy asked about it say they lose money and I hear various stories as to why.

However, Walmart is always in the running as to lowest price on GoodRX and I would trust their financial peeps to purge contracts that demonstrate negative/poor margin.

If Walmart makes money on a $13 GoodRX price how stupid are the insurance companies to continually cough up payment, net of co-pay, on a $315 generic sale to an insured customer.

Makes you think insurance companies have a contract with the pharmacies. They'll pay maybe $11 on top of a $9 pharmacy cost? Just talking here.

Then companies that carry the insurance for their employees have to know the game and will not absorb some massive delta between supposed $9 pharmacy cost plus $11 over cost insurance payment to pharmacy and the $315 register price. Perhaps another contract?

I think usurious pricing has to be in the mix somewhere.

All told, I don't know how GoodRX can be so cheap.

[wildthing]

Drug list prices are high so that when ins. cos., PBMs and Medicare negotiates prices they still make money at a given discount.

GoodRX May be operating like Amazon. Keep costs down (online only, low inventory, etc) razor thin margins and grow to scale as fast as possible to make money on volume... And then they have your data. Marketing gold! AI gold!

[MBAtarga]

WD - assuming you've got a smartphone - just download the GoodRX app. You can always get a "new" GoodRX code on the spot if needed.

[legion]

Back more than a half-century ago, American drug companies figured they could break into the European market by selling drugs there at close to the cost to produce. The American market bore all of the R&D costs.

70 years later, through many mergers and lots of laws in Europe to protect their cheap drug costs, the same practice continues. Americans pay the costs to develop drugs and Europeans only pay the cost to produce them. A more equitable model would be for everyone to pay the R&D costs, but European authorities fiercely defend their privilege.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by wildthing

GoodRX May be operating like Amazon. Keep costs down (online only, low inventory, etc) razor thin margins and grow to scale as fast as possible to make money on volume... And then they have your data. Marketing gold! AI gold!

Good Rx doesn't sell anything or keep inventory. They do have your information though.

MBATarga - I've been meaning to get that ap.