Walgreens has launched a new solution that aims to make it easier for consumers to access discounts on prescription medications, the company announced Thursday.
The Walgreens Rx Savings Finder combines different third-party discount card options into one platform. It allows customers to search for a prescription, find a coupon for that prescription and text or email the coupon to themselves. They then show the coupon to a Walgreens pharmacist when they fill the prescription. The solution is available at Walgreens.RxSense.com and works for any generic or brand-name drug.
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“Searching for prescription savings can be time-consuming and complicated – both for patients and pharmacists,” said Rick Gates, chief pharmacy officer at Walgreens, in an email. “Drug pricing varies significantly across various price shopping platforms, sometimes resulting in customers paying more than necessary for their prescriptions. This tool was created to make cost predictability and finding savings on prescriptions easier. By eliminating the need for a manual search across multiple discount card websites, we’re saving patients’ time and effort while also lessening the load on pharmacists to educate patients about discount price options.”
Gates added that because of high inflation, patients often have to “stretch their medications to avoid a refill.” The Rx Savings Finder will help improve medication adherence, he declared.
The tool is free for all Walgreens customers and does not require a subscription or membership. The discount cards can’t be used with insurance, but the “savings these cards can offer may be more attractive than what’s available with insurance,” Gates said.
Deerfield, Illinois-based Walgreens is launching the Rx Savings Finder after an 11-month pilot program, which saved patients about $70 million on their prescriptions. One pilot customer said that the solution “saves my time and might even reveal savings cards I was previously unaware of,” according to feedback received by Walgreens and shared with MedCity News. Pharmacists in the pilot program also reported success.
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“In our area, we have a lot of patients without insurance, and we’ve been able to save a few patients a decent amount of money on their prescriptions,” one pharmacist said. “One patient’s out-of-pocket costs dropped $75 for two prescriptions and we were able to hold onto a patient with out-of-network insurance who didn’t want to go to another pharmacy.”
Several other companies also have solutions that aim to reduce prescription drug costs for consumers. Amazon offers RxPass, which gives Prime members access to more than 50 generic drugs for $5 a month. It also offers automatic coupons for products like insulin vials and weight loss medications. GoodRx also helps consumers find coupons for prescription drugs and shows which stores have the best deals.
Photo: cagkansayin, Getty Images
