How To Save Money Safely On Medication – Buy Local, Buy Generic

The Partnership for Safe Medicines recently gained access to a RFP submission from a foreign drug broker, purporting to save money for a Maine employee union. We studied the top 30 medications purchased by this union and price-compared black market foreign pharmacies to pharmacies who possessed a pharmacy license in Maine.

Using legitimate, FDA approved generic saves more than 80% of the cost of the name-brand medication, while purchasing from the black market foreign pharmacy saves less than 50%, while exposing patients to the dangers of substandard, misbranded and counterfeit drugs.

The medications supplied by the foreign drug broker are non-FDA approved, filled by unlicensed pharmacists working for unlicensed pharmacies.  These medicines are not safe, yet despite the risk, some people are willing to suffer under-treatment or no treatment to save money.  Additionally, many of the medications purported to provide savings are treatments for chronic conditions. If they receive substandard or insufficient drugs, they won’t know immediately. Most probably their doctor will say “that drug just doesn’t work for you,” or “sadly,your disease is progressing.” Imagine their suffering when they could instead have taken legitimate
medication affordably approved by the US FDA.

After studying this sample of drugs that represent the largest expenditures to the union health plan, we found that if the health plan purchased most of these drugs in generic form from the legitimate Maine-licensed pharmacies they would save $3.7 million per year.  Using generics and doing careful comparison shopping can save more money without endangering patients.

Download a copy of the study by clicking here or on the image.

Download a summary of this article by clicking here.