I don’t think local drug stores can afford to be cheaper than a big corporate chain. But the pricing isn’t the point, it’s fostering competition against corporate monopolies.
Remember that the single purpose of corporations is to make more and more money. By their mandate to their shareholders, all measure of humanity is pushed into the background in favour of growth. The ultimate goal in that pursuit is monopoly: Being the sole supplier for their customers would allow them to dictate sales prices while being the biggest or even sole customer for their suppliers would give them leverage to shift prices in their favour. Their capital backing allows them to cushion out fluctuations in revenue and take losses, so they can afford to underprice and drive out competition, then crank up the enshittification to extort more money from their customers.
A (comparatively smaller) local store has less leverage to enshittify and exploit. Investing in their higher prices is an investment against that enshittification.
No, but their owners don’t have the bulk buying power to negotiate for better prices with suppliers, the centralised management making the per-store-overhead more efficient, the employment power to push wages, the capital backing to run low prices without risking a bad month leaving a noticeable dent in their liquid assets or even run at a loss for as long as it takes for “lowest price” customers to flock to their stores and drive the local stores out of business.
Pharmacy technician here. When we bill a prescription, the processing information (either from your insurance card, or from GoodRX) is entered into the computer, then the claim (including the drug being billed, day supply, and patient information) are sent to the benefits manager (PBM), and returned to give us a determined copay to charge you. It’s during this transaction, that by using GoodRX, your information has been volunteered to GoodRX as part of the billing process.
We do not determine copays - PBMs and your plan formulary do. You showing us a dollar sign on GoodRX does not guarantee you that price.
As an aside, my particular pharmacy does not accept GoodRX due to knowledge of these practices. It may also be interesting to know that GoodRX charges pharmacies a “finder’s fee” for offering a discounted price e.g. you pay the pharmacy $25 for a $22 drug, and the pharmacy pays GoodRX $5. If you can still find independent pharmacies, support them! They will work with you.
Please use local drug stores. The chain stores are absolutely ripping you the fuck off.
To be fair, if you’re buying drugs in the US, you’re probably getting ripped off by default
Not if you buy them from me. High quality, low prices!
Do you deliver, or should I just meet you out behind the club next to the green trash bin like usual?
It’s so hard to find a local one close by
(me wishing CVS/Rite aid/Walgreens didn’t destroy all the mom and pop drug stores)
Are they?
I think using goodrx.com has given me the best results to save money on drugs.
Local drug stores should totally be displaying “we’re cheaper than CVS!” if they want people to show up.
That is, if they’re actually cheaper…
I don’t think local drug stores can afford to be cheaper than a big corporate chain. But the pricing isn’t the point, it’s fostering competition against corporate monopolies.
Remember that the single purpose of corporations is to make more and more money. By their mandate to their shareholders, all measure of humanity is pushed into the background in favour of growth. The ultimate goal in that pursuit is monopoly: Being the sole supplier for their customers would allow them to dictate sales prices while being the biggest or even sole customer for their suppliers would give them leverage to shift prices in their favour. Their capital backing allows them to cushion out fluctuations in revenue and take losses, so they can afford to underprice and drive out competition, then crank up the enshittification to extort more money from their customers.
A (comparatively smaller) local store has less leverage to enshittify and exploit. Investing in their higher prices is an investment against that enshittification.
Sure they can! It’s not like their owners are surviving off of beans and rice, lol.
No, but their owners don’t have the bulk buying power to negotiate for better prices with suppliers, the centralised management making the per-store-overhead more efficient, the employment power to push wages, the capital backing to run low prices without risking a bad month leaving a noticeable dent in their liquid assets or even run at a loss for as long as it takes for “lowest price” customers to flock to their stores and drive the local stores out of business.
FYI, goodrx was selling your prescription info and PII to marketers. edit: to be clear, they were caught selling data between 2017 and 2020.
I haven’t given them any of my info.
Do you think walgreens and CVS don’t sell your data? Lol.
Pharmacy technician here. When we bill a prescription, the processing information (either from your insurance card, or from GoodRX) is entered into the computer, then the claim (including the drug being billed, day supply, and patient information) are sent to the benefits manager (PBM), and returned to give us a determined copay to charge you. It’s during this transaction, that by using GoodRX, your information has been volunteered to GoodRX as part of the billing process.
We do not determine copays - PBMs and your plan formulary do. You showing us a dollar sign on GoodRX does not guarantee you that price.
As an aside, my particular pharmacy does not accept GoodRX due to knowledge of these practices. It may also be interesting to know that GoodRX charges pharmacies a “finder’s fee” for offering a discounted price e.g. you pay the pharmacy $25 for a $22 drug, and the pharmacy pays GoodRX $5. If you can still find independent pharmacies, support them! They will work with you.
I’ll support whoever gives me the best deal!
It’s just business~
I suppose ignorance is bliss, as they say.
edit: in case anyone is curious, the retailer hands your info to goodrx, who sell (sold) it to advertisers.
I used to use a chain one and then I switched to a local one and I pay half as much as I used to.