Variation in Drug Prices at Pharmacies

Are Prices Higher in Poorer Areas?

Walid F. Gellad, Niteesh K. Choudhry, Mark W. Friedberg, M. Alan Brookhart, Jennifer S. Haas, William H. Shrank

ResearchPosted on rand.org 2009Published In: HSR: Health Services Research, v. 44, no. 2, p. 1, Apr. 2009, p. 606-617

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether retail prices for prescription drugs are higher in poorer areas. DATA SOURCES: The MyFloridarx.com website, which provides retail prescription prices at Florida pharmacies, and median ZIP code income from the 2000 Census. STUDY DESIGN: The authors compared mean pharmacy prices for each of the four study drugs across ZIP code income groups. Pharmacies were classified as either chain pharmacies or independent pharmacies. DATA COLLECTION: Prices were downloaded in November 2006. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Across the four study drugs, mean prices were highest in the poorest ZIP codes: 9 percent above the statewide average. Independent pharmacies in the poorest ZIP codes charged the highest mean prices. CONCLUSIONS: Retail prescription prices appear to be higher in poorer ZIP codes of Florida.

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Document Details

  • Copyright: Blackwell Publishing
  • Availability: Non-RAND
  • Year: 2009
  • Pages: 12
  • Document Number: EP-200904-10

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