Prices for prescription medicine continue to be challenging for Americans to navigate—as shown by one pharmacist’s advice to a GoodRx customer.
A TikTok video by creator Skittly (@skittlydat) detailed an encounter with someone who was trying to secure an EpiPen. EpiPen is the brand name of an auto-injectable device that delivers the drug epinephrine. It is used “to treat life-threatening, allergic emergencies in people who are at risk for or have a history of serious allergic emergencies.”
Since going up on TikTok on Thursday, the video has received more than 64,000 views.
The creator starts by saying, “I work at a pharmacy and I’m going to tell you the most bullsh*t thing I’ve seen out of Big Pharma.”
@skittlydat Like how can I not? #bigpharma #retail #retailpharmacy #work #capitalism #economy #retailpharmacy #savemoney #goodrx #corperateslavery #4u #fyp #usa #medicalcare #epipen #drugcosts ♬ original sound – Skittly
She continues, “Working in a retail pharmacy, I have to oblige by my retail pharmacy policies—but I don’t! If I think a drug is gonna be cheaper somewhere else, I’m going to tell you to go somewhere else.”
Case in point: She had a customer come in looking for an EpiPen and looked it up on GoodRx. “I know this is probably cheaper at another pharmacy,” she revealed. “Lo and behold, it is. It’s over $120 cheaper to get the EpiPen at Rite Aid than my pharmacy.”
She then says, “Should I be telling the customer this? No. Am I gonna tell the customer this? Yes, because in this economy, $100 is a lot of f*cking money.”
GoodRx states that its “mission is to build better ways for people to find the right care at the best price. Our technology gives all Americans—regardless of income or insurance status—the knowledge, choice, and care they need to stay healthy.”
A Daily Dot story published in May revealed that another pharmacy tech was actually using GoodRx to save patients money—like the TikToker here, apparently against her employer’s wishes.
Commenters commended the pharmacist.
“You’re amazing,” one noted, “thank you for telling her.”
The creator responded, “I always will & will always check for them, could never live with myself if I didn’t.”
Someone else said, “As a tech at a certain three lettered pharmacy,” using coded language for CVS, “they literally have the worst good Rx prices,” adding, “Go somewhere else.”
The creator said, “Frfr they are WILDING.”
Another sought consultation on “eliqust, farsiga, [and] entresto,” noting, “All 3 each month are around $450 total- then price drops to 30-60 per med.”
Here, the creator advised, “For meds like that, look up manufacturer coupons. They save people HUNDREDS if not thousands.”
“I thought the point of goodrx was to find the cheapest place?” one asked. “That’s what my Dr told me when she told me about it for my prescription.”
“Yes, but I cannot show people nor tell them to go somewhere else,” the creator explained. “Most people don’t know the process to transfer scripts or pay attention to prices.”
A GoodRx spokesperson, responding via email, said, “We process over 200 billion pricing data points each day and then show the lowest price at every pharmacy in the selected zip code. Prices often vary by $100+ at pharmacies on the same street.”
The GoodRx rep added, “We also work with manufacturers to list savings on our site for brand drugs, [like] Auvi-Q (an Epi-Pen alternative).”
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via TikTok comment.
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Source: https://www.dailydot.com/news/epipen-goodrx-prices/