Listen to your mama: Shop around for deals

USA TODAY, May, 2004 by Sandra Block

Even without a Medicare discount drug card, you can save a lot of money on prescription drugs by shopping around.

A recent survey by Consumers' Checkbook, a non-profit group, found substantial price differences for commonly used drugs, even within one metropolitan area. For example, the price for 100 tablets of Premarin, used to treat menopause symptoms, ranged from $48.69 to $129.75 at Chicago-area pharmacies.

While drug prices were often lower at big discount stores such as Wal-Mart and Costco, that wasn't always the case. In every area surveyed, Consumers' Checkbook found independent stores that charged prices equal to, or even lower than, the best-priced chains.

The price differences reflect the enormous markup on drugs, which gives retailers lots of...