No Prescription: Meds pricing Web site state’s best-kept secret

"Holding down the cost of health care is one of the greatest challenges facing Floridians, especially those living on a fixed income," Crist said.

With a few simple clicks at the Web site, Internet users can determine the price for the most common medications at pharmacies close to their homes. The searchable database, which the Attorney General's Office says is the only such tool updated monthly to help Floridians find affordable medications, provides pricing information from competing retailers for the 50 most commonly used prescription drugs in Florida, as well as generic equivalents, when available.

In Lady Lake, CVS Pharmacy and Walgreen's both have their prescription drugs listed on the Web site, allowing residents to see the competitors' prices for comparable medications.

During random phone calls Friday to local physicians' offices and pharmacies, several said they were unaware that MyFloridaRx.com even existed.

"I have never been on it," said Jason Fazio, senior pharmacy technician at Walgreen's in Lady Lake. "This is the first time I am hearing of it, and I haven't had any residents coming in saying that they have used it."

The Attorney General's Office says MyFloridaRx.com attracts an average of 4,200 visitors per week. And to maintain the privacy of those logging on, the office says it does not track the locations of those checking the site or the medications they are researching.

JoAnn Carrin, communications director for Charlie Crist, said the Attorney General's Office hopes more residents will use MyFloridaRx.com.

"This is a valuable resource to find out the varying prices of prescription medication," she said. "There may be several stores where the prices vary widely and this gives folks the opportunity to find the best deals and save money, and for our seniors, that is particularly important."

Before MyFloridaRX.com was introduced, the Attorney General's Office noted Floridians had no way to conveniently determine the current price of most common prescription medications at local pharmacies.

Carrin said Crist attended the National Attorney General Association conference 1 1/2 years ago and saw similar prescription drug-pricing Web sites and felt it was needed in Florida.

"We started looking at several Web sites and took the best from all of them," Carrin said, adding they also consulted with Florida physicians, pharmacies, the Florida Medical Association and other agencies on the project.

Prices on the Web site are updated regularly to reflect what an uninsured consumer, with no discount or supplemental plan, would normally pay. Because the information on the Web site is based on data provided to the state by the pharmacies themselves, prices shown on the Web site are not guaranteed and may change daily.

Theresa Campbell is a senior features writer with the Daily Sun. She can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9260, or theresa.campbell@thevillagesmedia.com.