Pharma Industry
Industry: Email Alert RSS FeedBlue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Drug Cost Management Report, July, 2002
* Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) is providing cost comparison information on 25 of the most common brand-name drugs with generic counterparts on its Web site at www.bcbsm.com/generic. The information was developed as a pocket card for physicians, and is now being distributed to members as well.
The card is a handy reference for physicians, Blues members, and uninsured patients, because it provides the average wholesale price (AWP), which can be used as a starting point for comparison shopping. BCBSM covers approximately 4.8 million health plan members.
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Figure 10. BCBSM Price Comparison Chart-Name Brand vs. Generic Price
Common Regimen or Brand-Name
Brand Name/Strength[*] Quantity (30 day supply) Cost[**]
Ativan 1mg BID $70.25
BuSpar 15mg BID $141.80
Cardizem CD 240mg QD $68.37
Cardura 4mg QD $34.38
Cleocin T 1% - 60ml QD $70.45
Darvocet-N 100 100; 650mg QID $105.42
Dyazide 25; 37.5mg QD $16.61
Hytrin 5mg QD $61.17
Imdur 60mg QD $55.13
K-Dur 20mg BID $34.22
Klonopin 0.5mg BID $46.50
Lasix 40mg QD $9.23
Lopressor 50mg BID $48.27
Nitrostat 0.4mg 100 Count Vial $20.91
Pepcid 20mg BID $121.67
Procardia XL 30mg QD $45.49
Prozac 20mg QD $93.38
Ritalin 10mg TID $55.78
Tenormin 50mg QD $35.51
Valium 5mg BID $62.98
Vasotec 10mg BID $74.97
Vicodin ES 7.5; 750mg QID $78.06
Xanax 0.5mg BID $73.41
Zantac 150mg BID $113.90
Ziac 5; 6.25mg QD $40.68
Generic
Brand Name/Strength[*] Cost[***]
Ativan 1mg $27.11
BuSpar 15mg $48.46
Cardizem CD 240mg $38.45
Cardura 4mg $13.94
Cleocin T 1% - 60ml $26.73
Darvocet-N 100 100; 650mg $19.08
Dyazide 25; 37.5mg $7.42
Hytrin 5mg $30.09
Imdur 60mg $6.64
K-Dur 20mg $21.25
Klonopin 0.5mg $22.39
Lasix 40mg $0.71
Lopressor 50mg $4.35
Nitrostat 0.4mg $9.21
Pepcid 20mg $24.91
Procardia XL 30mg $28.87
Prozac 20mg $10.50
Ritalin 10mg $29.47
Tenormin 50mg $1.28
Valium 5mg $1.82
Vasotec 10mg $15.84
Vicodin ES 7.5; 750mg $17.02
Xanax 0.5mg $2.55
Zantac 150mg $12.60
Ziac 5; 6.25mg $17.03
Generic
Brand Name/Strength[*] Generic Name Savings
Ativan 1mg Lorazepam $43.14
BuSpar 15mg Buspirone HCL $93.34
Cardizem CD 240mg Diltiazem HCL $29.92
Cardura 4mg Doxazosin Mesylate $20.44
Cleocin T 1% - 60ml Clindamycin Phosphate $43.72
Darvocet-N 100 100; 650mg Propoxyphene/Acetaminophen $86.34
Dyazide 25; 37.5mg Triamterene/HCTZ $9.19
Hytrin 5mg Terazosin HCL $31.08
Imdur 60mg Isosorbide Mononitrate $48.48
K-Dur 20mq Potassium Chloride $12.96
Klonopin 0.5mg Clonazepam $24.11
Lasix 40mg Furosemide $8.53
Lopressor 50mg Metoprolol Tartrate $43.92
Nitrostat 0.4mg Nitroglycerin $11.70
Pepcid 20mg Famotidine $96.76
Procardia XL 30mg Nifedipine Extended Release $16.62
Prozac 20mg Fluoxetine HCL $82.88
Ritalin 10mg Methylphenidate HCL $26.31
Tenormin 50mg Atenolol $34.23
Valium 5mg Diazepam $61.15
Vasotec 10mg Enalapril Maleate $59.13
Vicodin ES 7.5; 750mg Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen $61.04
Xanax 0.5mg Alprazolam $70.86
Zantac 150mg Ranitidine HCL $101.30
Ziac 5; 6.25mg Bisoprolol Fumarate/HCTZ $23.65
QD: Once a Day | BID: Twice a Day | TID: Three a Day | QID: Four a Day
[*] Most common strength dispensed for BCBBM members
[**] Brand-name cost based on Average Wholesale Price (AWP) obtained using
First DataBank (4/15/02) [***] Generic cost based on BCBBM
Maximum Allowable Cost (MAC) schedule or discounted AWP (4/01/02)
Source: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
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