I have suffered from allergies since I was a young child, and I have been on various prescription medications through the years. I started on Zyrtec the year it came out and I have never looked back. I have to take allergy medications year round and Zyrtec works for me in a way that the long list of others I have taken just don’t.
Because Zyrtec has worked so well for me, I was apprehensive when it went over the counter. I was worried that the price would be more than I was paying with my insurance (about $30 a month) but I was also pleased to know that I would have access to it without having to drag myself into the doctor each year. I was even more pleased to notice a generic version of it in the Walgreen’s Easy Saver rebate items for April! Kroger has a similar generic. Huzzah! So now I don’t have to go to the doctor and have a prescription, and the generic version is even cheaper than the name brand, even with the high value coupons my pharmacy sent me right after it went over the counter. Gotta love the generics!
How do you feel about prescription meds going over the counter? Has it been more cost effective for you?
2 comments:
I love it, for the most part. I take a generic of Benadryl. I buy it at Sam's. Four hundred pills for about $4. It's fabulous!
I'm just waiting for Imitrex to go generic. I know that's not the same as going OTC, but if I can get my migraine meds for less, I'll be thrilled!
Occasionally, generics don't work. "The People's Pharmacy" column is keeping tabs on all the problems with generics. I've run into issues myself. But I generally find generic drugs to be a wonderful thing!
I am also in love with Zyretec. However, it may actually be in my best interest to go into the doctor once a year for a prescription, especially if I get that prescription filled as a generic at Wal-mart ($4, or $0.13/pill).
Granted, I did a price comparison a few months ago about the cost of the generics versus the name-brand. You have to be careful. At one point, Zyretec was $0.55/pill (at Wal-mart, on promotional sale). But their generic 14-day supply ran $0.57/pill (buh?). CVS was also carrying a 100-day supply at that time for about $0.63/pill, which you had to ask for at the pharmacy as they didn't have smaller-dose packaging yet. Since then they've come out with their own packaging, so it may be cheaper, but you should always do a cost comparison, because generic is not always cheaper!
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