Availability and Cost of Expensive and Common Generic Prescription Drugs: A Cross-sectional Analysis of Direct-to-Consumer Pharmacies.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmacies sell generic prescription drugs, often at lower prices than traditional retail pharmacies; however, not all drugs are available, and prices vary.

Objective

To determine the availability and cost of generic drugs at DTC pharmacies.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Five national DTC pharmacies in April and May 2023.

Participants

Each qualifying form of 100 generic drugs with the highest cost-per-patient (expensive) and the 50 generic drugs with the highest number of patients (common) in Medicare Part D in 2020 MAIN MEASURES: Availability of these drugs and the lowest DTC pharmacy price for a standardized drug strength and supply (e.g., 30 pills), compared to GoodRx retail pharmacy prices.

Key results</

SUBMITTER: Lalani HS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11347552 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature