updated 11-20-2009
Did you know that, for most patients, Prilosec OTC has the same effect as Nexium?
Treating acid reflux by medication causes the suppression of stomach acid. Prilosec is known as the original 'Purple Pill', and it became the top selling prescription acid reflux drug in the world, and its manufacturer (AstraZeneca) earned $6 billion a year from sales of Prilosec. Once the patent expired, the Drug Company spent millions of dollars on a marketing campaign aimed at moving their customers to Nexium, the next generation ‘Purple Pill’, which thanks to new patents, could continue to be sold at a premium price.
Clinical studies have shown, however, that Nexium is hardly more effective than its predecessor, Prilosec. The bottom line is that all of these drugs are something called “proton pump inhibitors,” and while there are some chemical differences among them, there is no definitive research that shows one more effective than another. Due to the prescription costs of Nexium, your Plan members could be saving a lot of money with Prilosec.
Last year, your health plan, Advantage Health Plans Trust, filled 1,352 prescriptions for Nexium at a cost of $269,179.19 or an average of $173.99 per 30-day prescription. If all of these participants switched to Prilosec OTC, the Plan would have saved over $244,000.00! Plan participants would have saved more than $50,000 in co-pays!
Talk to your doctor before switching medications. Since Prilosec OTC is on your preferred OTC list, it will be free for a 30-day supply! And the cost to the Plan is only $14.00 per 30-day supply. Not only will you save on your out-of-pocket prescription costs, but you will save the Plan money too.
Don't forget to check out our full list of OTC medications that you can get for FREE, and how to utilize this important benefit!