If I Got You A $ 100 Bill

Submitted By venkykreddy
Words: 2166
Pages: 9

IF I HANDED YOU A $100 BILL, WOULD YOU TAKE
IT?!?!?
Of course you would! And if I told you how to save two or three
$100 bills on your next prescription medication (that‟s $200 to
$300 dollars, by the way!), would you do it? Why hesitate? Are you skeptical? I guess I can‟t blame you. So let me put your mind at ease, and tell you something many Americans don‟t know! U.S. PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES ARE THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD!
Are you aware that prescription drug prices in the United States are the highest in the world? According to an article in Time Magazine (TIME magazine, Feb. 2, 2004), "The prices Americans pay for prescription drugs, which are far higher than those paid by citizens of any other developed country, help explain why the pharmaceutical industry is — and has been for years — the most profitable of all businesses in the U.S..” A recent article published in Forbes entitled America’s Most Popular Drugs (written by Mathew Herper, May,
2010) explains part of the reason for the higher prices is that pharmaceutical companies are “rapidly losing their grip on the average consumer” due to the expiration of patents and thus the availability of cheaper generic versions of the brand-name medication. For example, generic versions of Lipitor (a cholesterol lowering drug), like Zocor, go for $1 a pill compared to $4 for the brand-name Lipitor. That means many Americans are still paying 75% more to Pfizer, the manufacturer of Lipitor, just for the brand name. And the higher price is still paying off for Pfizer. Last year, Lipitor racked up over $7.5 billion (yes, that‟s a “B”!) in annual sales! If you do the math, Americans could have saved about $5.6 BILLION in 2010 on their prescriptions for Lipitor by choosing a generic alternative!
However, many Americans are getting wise to the fact that generic medications are just like their brand name counterparts, except that they‟re manufactured by other drug companies once the original manufacturer loses their patent. According to the Forbes article, “only 8 of the 50 most popular drugs are still branded, compared to 20 in 2003”. Today, 75% of all prescriptions are for generic drugs which means many Americans are getting wise to the unnecessary high prices of brand name medications.

MANY AMERICANS CAN NO LONGER AFFORD THEIR PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS!
In a recent survey conducted by Consumer Report - Health, 70% of the respondents took specific steps to afford their drugs in the past year (like ordering generic alternatives), while 28% of those resorted to potentially dangerous measures, including; 16%-Failed to Fill a Prescription, 16%-Skipped Doses, 11%Took Expired Medication, 10%-Cut Pills in Half, and 4%-Shared a Prescription. It is important that every
American know these unsafe practices are no longer necessary, and that every American, including the 50 million uninsured U.S. citizens, have safe, reliable, and absolutely legal options for purchasing their prescription medications at affordable prices!
How can you save up to 80% off your prescriptions? First, consider the generic alternative of your medication if one is available. Second, open your eyes to the value of international distributors and the power of the internet!
International pharmacies are not forced to sell medications at high U.S. prices dictated by the pharmaceutical giants. And the world-wide-web has opened more doors to discount shopping, and saved consumers more money in the past decade than any other retail method in history. While many people may still be skeptical about buying items over the internet (especially medication!), find comfort in the fact that the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration explains “Many Internet pharmacy sites are legitimate” where all legitimate on-line pharmacies confirm the legitimacy of the prescription and assure products have been manufactured in facilities that have been approved by the FDA or similar regulatory body in a foreign