Americans Save 72.49% on Generics at Local U.S. Pharmacies By Comparing U.S. Coupon Prices on PharmacyChecker.com

PharmacyChecker data shows that U.S. pharmacy coupons helped U.S. consumers save an average of 72.49% off average retail pharmacy prices at their local pharmacies. 

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Some Americans go online to search for cheaper medication outside the U.S., ending up on PharmacyChecker.com with the thought that a safe Canadian online pharmacy will offer the best price. This data shows that many visitors to PharmacyChecker.com found that a U.S. pharmacy coupon was what they really needed and that the price was much lower here than in Canada.

PharmacyChecker.com publishes U.S. pharmacy coupon prices for generic drugs that consistently beat or are comparable to international online pharmacy prices, including those located in India. Prescription drug discount cards and coupons are an important part of drug affordability in the U.S. The same prescription drug at one pharmacy can cost significantly less compared to another pharmacy right across the street. There are savings to be had right down the street at local pharmacies in the United States – especially when it comes to generic medications. 

To continue with its ongoing research of where drugs are made (see Not Made in the USA), in this report, PharmacyChecker identifies the manufacturing origins of generic drugs found in U.S. pharmacies.

Key Findings

• Coupon claims made by people who visited PharmacyChecker.com in 2022 for generic drugs yielded an average of 72.49% savings off average U.S. retail pharmacy prices.
• Generic erectile dysfunction drug prices – for products like generic Viagra (sildenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil) – on U.S. pharmacy shelves, in conjunction with a coupon, are comparable to international online pharmacy offerings.
• U.S. pharmacy coupon claims made by consumers who visited PharmacyChecker.com in 2022 for controlled substances yielded an average of 60.08% savings off average U.S. retail pharmacy prices.
• Eight out of the ten U.S.-sold drugs analyzed have manufacturing locations in India. 

PharmacyChecker.com Drug Price Comparisons

PharmacyChecker helps people find the lowest prices on prescription medication among licensed U.S. and international pharmacies. The cost of medication is different from country to country and pharmacy to pharmacy. To find the lowest drug prices, it's often essential to compare medication costs locally and internationally. Comparing drug costs on PharmacyChecker.com helps patients, providers, and caregivers save the most money.

PharmacyChecker.com price comparisons show that generic Lipitor (atorvastatin), a commonly-prescribed medication for the treatment of high cholesterol, is much more affordable at local U.S. pharmacies with a discount coupon compared to an international mail order pharmacy. The lowest international online pharmacy price comes from a PharmacyChecker-accredited pharmacy located in New Zealand at $0.29 per tablet. That may sound great, but compare that to the average U.S. retail pharmacy price of around $0.30 per tablet and realize it’s not worth the shipping hassle. Then, compare it to atorvastatin prices with a U.S. discount coupon offering: consumers can find coupon pricing for atorvastatin for as little as $0.17 per tablet at a local independent pharmacy right here in the United States. 

Tadalafil, the generic version of the erectile dysfunction brand Cialis, can be ordered internationally for as little as $0.24 per tablet (shipping included). It’s $0.25 per tablet with a coupon at a U.S. pharmacy like Rite Aid or the local mom-and-pop. In the case of tadalafil – and another equally popular generic ED drug, sildenafil (Viagra) – the international vs. local price differential is so narrow, patients should stay in the neighborhood.

U.S. Pharmacy Drug Coupons Claimed on PharmacyChecker.com Savings Compared to International Online Pharmacy Savings, 2022

All pricing is per unit. 

*Pharmacies accredited through the PharmacyChecker Verification Program are not permitted to sell controlled substances to consumers in the United States. 

SOURCES: U.S. average price as seen on GoodRx.com. 

U.S. coupon price as published on PharmacyChecker.com as listed in near Paris, Tennessee ZIP Code 38242.

Lowest International Price as published on PharmacyChecker.com drug price comparison pages.

Opioids and Other Controlled Substances

PharmacyChecker is committed to providing price comparisons of prescription medications so consumers can achieve the most cost savings across international mail order and U.S. pharmacies. In the case of controlled substances, however, PharmacyChecker.com only lists pricing for U.S. pharmacy coupons. Controlled substances, which include prescription opioids, are under tight control because of their potential risk for abuse. That being the case, there are no Canadian or international prices listed for any controlled substances because the PharmacyChecker Verification Program does not accredit pharmacies that ship controlled substances internationally into the United States. Only PharmacyChecker-accredited pharmacies within the United States, with a valid U.S. DEA registration and in compliance with the Ryan Haight Act, are permitted to sell Schedule II controlled substances. 

The good news is that ordering internationally isn’t necessary in order to achieve savings on generic pain and anxiety medications that may fall into the controlled substance category. The chart below illustrates savings achieved locally through coupons found on PharmacyChecker.com for controlled substances.

Importantly, opioid addiction is a serious public health crisis in the U.S., and PharmacyChecker believes such drugs should not be sold online internationally. Americans seeking to obtain opioids over the Internet, especially where they do not have a prescription, risk not only overdose and further addiction but purchasing counterfeit drugs from a rogue online pharmacy. 

U.S. Pharmacy Drug Coupons for Controlled Medication on PharmacyChecker.com Savings 

All pricing is per unit. 

SOURCES: U.S. average price as seen on GoodRx.com. 

U.S. coupon price as published on PharmacyChecker.com as listed in near Paris, Tennessee ZIP Code 38242.

Manufacturing Origin of Generic Drugs Sold In the United States

PharmacyChecker often includes the manufacturing origins in its drug data research in order to illustrate the global nature of the pharmaceutical supply chain and to hammer home that the U.S. already relies on drug importation for most of our pharmaceuticals. Generic medications typically have multiple manufacturers and therefore sources of origin. The compilation of manufacturing locations below was determined by assessing just one drug label per drug name on the National Library of Medicine website. 

PharmacyChecker’s small sample size mirrors the results of global active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing findings released by the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) in 2022. Both highlight the United States’ reliance on Indian manufacturing. Over 80% of all APIs of medicines taken by patients in the United States have no domestic manufacturing source. 

U.S.-sold Generic Medication Manufacturing Origins, 2023

Sources: Country of manufacture determined through the National Library of Medicine. Drug sample is based on the most popular drugs for which consumers made local U.S. coupon claims from PharmacyChecker.com in 2022.