Discount Drugs - Consumer Reports Health

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June 2009

Save money with Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs

Working with unbiased experts, Consumer Reports has identified Best Buys Drugs that offer superior care at a lower price for several conditions.

Condition	Brand-name or top-selling drug and monthly cost		Consumer Reports Best Buy Drug and monthly cost	Savings with the CR Best Buy Drug	Comments
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)	Strattera One 18-mg pill per day, $176	vs.	Methylphenidate Two 20-mg pills per day, $40	$136	ADHD drugs might be overused. But they can help when prescribed correctly. Get an accurate diagnosis.
Cholesterol: high LDL	Lipitor One 10-mg pill per day, $101	vs.	Lovastatin One 20-mg pill per day, $18	$83	Applicable only if you need to lower your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by less than 30%.
Diabetes (type 2)	Actos One 30-mg pill per day, $232	vs.	Metformin Two 1,000-mg pills per day, $20	$212	Many people with type 2 diabetes need to take two drugs, but starting with just metformin is your best first step.
Heartburn and GERD	Nexium One 20-mg pill per day, $215	vs.	Omeprazole One 20-mg pill per day, $15	$200	Omeprazole is available as a nonprescription drug. See a doctor if you have heartburn two or more times per week for several weeks.
Insomnia	Lunesta One 2-mg pill at bedtime, $93 for 15 pills	vs.	Zolpidem One 10-mg pill at bedtime, $33 for 15 pills	$60	Don’t take sleeping pills every night for more than 10 days. Zolpidem varies considerably in price for 15 pills. Shop around.
Osteoarthritis, joint pain	Celebrex Two 200-mg pills per day, $296	vs.	Ibuprofen Three 400-mg pills per day, $21	$275	You can buy ibuprofen as an over-the-counter drug, and stronger doses are available by prescription.
Schizophrenia	Seroquel Two 100-mg pills per day, $320	vs.	Perphenazine Three 8-mg pills per day, $90	$230	Antipsychotic drugs have major side effects, and response to them is highly variable.

Prices are the national retail average for commonly prescribed doses, derived from data collected by Wolters Kluwer Health, Pharmaceutical Audit Suite.