Oct 26, 2007 11:25 am US/Eastern
New N.J. Site To Make Prescription Shopping Easier
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) ―
New Jerseyans needing
prescription medication can now easily comparison shop.
New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine is
scheduled to join the AARP on Friday to announce the launch of a new state Web
site allowing New Jerseyans to compare pharmacy prices for the 150 most
commonly prescribed medications.
The registry is up at
www.njconsumeraffairs.gov and on Thursday showed wide-ranging prices for common
drugs.
For instance, prices for
osteoporosis drug Fosamax ranged from $17.52 to $46.53 per pill, while prices
for allergy drug Zyrtec ranged from $2.09 per pill to $7.41 per pill.
The idea is to let consumers find
the pharmacy in their area with the lowest price for a drug, with the registry
updated weekly.
While it shows the highest and
lowest prices for a drug throughout the state, it only lists pharmacies within
the zip code entered into the database.
Consumers can also call a toll-free
number -- 1-800-242-5846 -- to get the same information.
The Web site and the toll-free
number are offered in English and Spanish.
New Jersey follows New York, Maryland, Illinois and Florida in creating such a Web site. New York officials say its site has helped
consumers save $17 per prescription on average.
Corzine signed the bill creating New Jersey's registry in August 2006. Then,
the governor and sponsors said it would help consumers make an informed
decision.
"We've found that when it comes
to making prescription drugs more affordable, the old saying, 'Knowledge is
power,' is really true," said Sen. Barbara Buono, D-Middlesex.
"Consumers can save considerable money on their prescriptions just by
shopping around and this price registry will make it much easier."
Consumer advocate group New Jersey
Citizen Action contends that's key since 20 percent of uninsured New Jerseyans
require at least one prescription drug, with 65,000 uninsured residents requiring
four prescription drugs.
The state has an estimated 1.4
million residents without health insurance.
It's estimated the site will cost
$72,000 each year to run.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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