Walgreens Unveils Device To Assist Sufferers Save on Prescriptions

Walgreens has launched a brand new answer that goals to make it simpler for shoppers to entry reductions on prescription medicines, the corporate introduced Thursday.

The Walgreens Rx Financial savings Finder combines totally different third-party low cost card choices into one platform. It permits clients to seek for a prescription, discover a coupon for that prescription and textual content or electronic mail the coupon to themselves. They then present the coupon to a Walgreens pharmacist once they fill the prescription. The answer is accessible at Walgreens.RxSense.com and works for any generic or brand-name drug.

“Trying to find prescription financial savings will be time-consuming and sophisticated – each for sufferers and pharmacists,” stated Rick Gates, chief pharmacy officer at Walgreens, in an electronic mail. “Drug pricing varies considerably throughout numerous worth purchasing platforms, typically leading to clients paying greater than obligatory for his or her prescriptions. This software was created to make value predictability and discovering financial savings on prescriptions simpler. By eliminating the necessity for a guide search throughout a number of low cost card web sites, we’re saving sufferers’ effort and time whereas additionally lessening the load on pharmacists to coach sufferers about low cost worth choices.”

Gates added that due to excessive inflation, sufferers typically should “stretch their medicines to keep away from a refill.” The Rx Financial savings Finder will assist enhance treatment adherence, he declared.

The software is free for all Walgreens clients and doesn’t require a subscription or membership. The low cost playing cards can’t be used with insurance coverage, however the “financial savings these playing cards can provide could also be extra enticing than what’s out there with insurance coverage,” Gates stated.

Deerfield, Illinois-based Walgreens is launching the Rx Financial savings Finder after an 11-month pilot program, which saved sufferers about $70 million on their prescriptions. One pilot buyer stated that the answer “saves my time and may even reveal financial savings playing cards I used to be beforehand unaware of,” in response to suggestions acquired by Walgreens and shared with MedCity Information. Pharmacists within the pilot program additionally reported success.

“In our space, now we have lots of sufferers with out insurance coverage, and we’ve been in a position to save a number of sufferers a good amount of cash on their prescriptions,” one pharmacist stated. “One affected person’s out-of-pocket prices dropped $75 for 2 prescriptions and we have been in a position to maintain onto a affected person with out-of-network insurance coverage who didn’t wish to go to a different pharmacy.”

A number of different firms even have options that intention to cut back prescription drug prices for shoppers. Amazon gives RxPass, which provides Prime members entry to greater than 50 generic medicine for $5 a month. It additionally gives automated coupons for merchandise like insulin vials and weight reduction medicines. GoodRx additionally helps shoppers discover coupons for pharmaceuticals and exhibits which shops have one of the best offers.