Old, Old Story (2003-2005) Probably Still True

 
Snopes says this is true:
http://www.snopes.com/medical/drugs/generic.asp
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    Did you ever wonder how much it costs  a drug company for the active ingredient in  prescription medications?  Some people think it must cost a lot since many drugs sell  for more than $2.00 per tablet.  We did a search of   offshore chemical synthesizers that  supply the active ingredients found in drugs  approved by the FDA.  As we have revealed in past issues of Life Extension a significant  percentage of drugs sold in the United States contain active ingredients made in other  countries.  In our independent investigation of how much profit drug companies really make we obtained the actual price of  active ingredients used in some of the most popular drugs
sold in America.
 
    Celebrex:100  mg
    Consumer price (100 tablets): $130.27
    Cost of general active  ingredients: $0.60
    Percent markup:  21,712%
 
    Claritin:10  mg
    Consumer Price (100 tablets):  $215.17
    Cost of general active  ingredients: $0.71
    Percent markup:  30,306%

    Keflex:250 mg
    Consumer Price (100 tablets):  $157.39
    Cost of general active  ingredients: $1.88
    Percent markup: 8,372%
 
    Lipitor:20  mg
    Consumer Price (100 tablets): $272.37
    Cost of general active  ingredients: $5.80
    Percent markup:  4,696%
    Error! Filename not specified.
 
    Norvasc:10  mg
    Consumer price (100 tablets): $188.29
    Cost of general active  ingredients: $0.14
    Percent markup:  134,493%
 
    Paxil:20  mg
    Consumer price (100 tablets):  $220.27
    Cost of general active  ingredients: $7.60
    Percent markup:  2,898%
 
    Prevacid:30 mg
    Consumer price (100 tablets):  $44.77
    Cost of general active  ingredients: $1.01
    Percent markup: 34,136%
 
    Prilosec:  20 mg
    Consumer price (100 tablets): $360.97
    Cost of general  active ingredients $0.52
    Percent  markup: 69,417%
 
    Prozac:20 mg
    Consumer price (100 tablets) :  $247.47
    Cost of general active  ingredients: $0.11
    Percent markup: 224,973%
 
    Tenormin:50  mg
    Consumer price (100 tablets):  $104.47
    Cost of general active  ingredients: $0.13
    Percent markup:  80,362%
 
    Vasotec:10 mg
    Consumer price (100 tablets):  $102.37
    Cost of general active  ingredients: $0.20
    Percent markup: 51,185%
 
    Xanax:1  mg
    Consumer price (100 tablets) : $136.79
    Cost of general active  ingredients: $0.024
    Percent markup: 569,958%
 
    Zestril:20  mg
    Consumer price (100 tablets)  $89.89
    Cost of general active  ingredients $3.20
    Percent markup:  2,809%
 
    Zithromax:600 mg
    Consumer price (100 tablets):  $1,482.19
    Cost of general active  ingredients: $18.78
    Percent  markup: 7,892%
 
    Zocor:40  mg
    Consumer price (100 tablets): $350.27
    Cost of general active  ingredients: $8.63
    Percent markup:  4,059%
 
    Zoloft:50  mg
    Consumer price: $206.87
    Cost of general active ingredients:  $1.75
    Percent markup:  11,821%
 
    Since  the cost of prescription drugs is so outrageous,  I thought everyone should know about this.  It pays to shop around!  This  helps  solve the mystery as to why they can afford to put a Walgreen's on every corner.  On Monday night, Steve Wilson, an  investigative reporter for Channel 7 News in  Detroit did a story on generic drug prices  gouging by pharmacies.  He found in his
investigation that some of these generic drugs  were marked up as much as 3,000% or more.
    So often we blame the drug companies for the  high cost of drugs, and usually rightfully so.  But in this case the fault clearly lies with the pharmacies themselves. For example if you  had to buy a prescription drug, and
bought the  name brand, you might pay $100 for 100  pills.
    The pharmacist might tell you that if  you get the generic equivalent, they would only  cost $80, making you think you are saving $20.  What the pharmacist is not telling  you is that those 100 generic pills may have  only
cost him $10!
 
    At the end of the report, one of the  anchors asked Mr. Wilson whether or not there  were any pharmacies that did not adhere to this practice, and he said that Costco consistently  charged little over their cost for the
generic  drugs.
 
    I went  to the Costco site, where you can look up any  drug, and get its online price.  It says that the in-store prices are consistent with the online prices. I was  appalled.  Just to give you one example  from my own experience I had to use the drug  Compazine which helps
prevent nausea in chemo  patients.
 
    I used the generic equivalent, which  cost $54.99 for 60 pills at CVS.  I checked  the price at Costco, and I could have bought 100  pills for $19.89 - for 145 of my pain pills, I  paid $72.57.  I could have got 150 at Costco
for $28.08.
 
    I would like to mention, that  although Costco is a 'membership' type store,  you do NOT have to be a member to buy  prescriptions there as it is a federally  regulated substance.  You just tell them at  the door that you wish to use the pharmacy, and  they will let you in.
 
    I am asking each of  you to please help me by copying this letter and passing it into your own e-mail, and send it to  everyone you know with an e-mail address.
 
    Sharon L. Davis
    Budget Analyst
    U.S.  Department of  Commerce
    Room 6839
    Office  Ph: 202-482-4458 <tel:202-482-4458>
    Office  Fax: 202-482-5480 <tel:202-482-5480>
    E-mail Address:_sdavis@doc.gov_ <mailto:_sdavis@doc.gov_>
    ( http://us.mc318g.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=sdavis@doc.gov) ____