Variation in drug prices at pharmacies: are prices higher in poorer areas?
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether retail prices for prescription drugs are higher in poorer areas.


METHODS
The MyFloridarx.com website, which provides retail prescription prices at Florida pharmacies, and median ZIP code income from the 2000 Census.


METHODS
We compared mean pharmacy prices for each of the four study drugs across ZIP code income groups. Pharmacies were classified as either chain pharmacies or independent pharmacies.


METHODS
Prices were downloaded in November 2006.


RESULTS
Across the four study drugs, mean prices were highest in the poorest ZIP codes: 9 percent above the statewide average. Independent pharmacies in the poorest ZIP codes charged the highest mean prices.


CONCLUSIONS
Retail prescription prices appear to be higher in poorer ZIP codes of Florida.
Gellad
Walid F
WF
Division of General Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and RAND Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. wgellad@rand.org
Choudhry
Niteesh K
NK
Friedberg
Mark W
MW
Brookhart
M Alan
MA
Haas
Jennifer S
JS
Shrank
William H
WH
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005431:Florida; D007182:Income; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000191:economics*; D010594:Pharmacies / Q000191:economics*; D011203:Poverty
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations