40%-123% US Rx price variations found

A US study, conducted by the Pennsylvania Psychological Association,has found that prices of six prescription drugs differed by about 40% on average but could vary as much as 123% among 88 state pharmacies.

The cheapest places to buy prescription drugs are either on-line or at discount stores, it said. Comparison shopping is the best way of ensuring consumers get the best deals, said Association chairman Salvatore Cullari, adding that consumers do not have to wait for the state or federal governments to pass new laws to save money.

The study compared costs for GlaxoSmithKline's oral diabetes agent Avandia (rosiglitazone); Pfizer's cholesterol-lowerer Lipitor (atorvastatin); AstraZeneca's proton pump inhibitor Prilosec (omeprazole); Eli Lilly's schizophrenia treatment Zyprexia (olanzapine); GSK's antidepressant Wellbutrin (bupropion) and Pfizer's antidepressant Zoloft (sertraline).