NEW YORK (AP) -- A new report finds that prices for prescription drugs can vary greatly, meaning people could be overpaying if they don't do their homework. Consumers Reports says it compared drug prices for five blockbuster drugs that recently went generic and found that Costco offered the lowest prices overall and CVS charged the highest. The group said its "secret shoppers" called more than 200 pharmacies in the U.S. to get retail prices, which is the amount people pay without insurance, for a month's supply of five drugs Actos, for diabetes; Lexapro, an antidepressant; Lipitor, for high cholesterol; Plavix, a blood thinner; and Singulair, for asthma. The differences could be significant. For example a month's supply of the generic version of Lipitor cost $17 at CostCo but was $150 at CVS. A month's supply of generic Lexapro was $7 at CostCo and $126 at CVS. A representative for CVS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Consumer Reports noted that prices varied greatly at local, independent pharmacies, but that such outlets could have competitive prices as well. The broader differences in price are partly because retailers have varying business models, according to Consumer Reports. For example, big-box … Continue reading →

Chandigarh, April 3 (IANS) The Punjab Police Wednesday arrested boxer Ram Singh in connection with the recent recovery of huge quantity of heroin and other drugs worth nearly Rs.500 crore in the state. Police had, last month, busted an international drugs racket operating from the state. Ram Singh is a fellow boxer and former room-mate of Olympic bronze medal winner and star boxer Vijender Singh. Police earlier claimed, based on Ram Singh's statements, that he and Vijender had consumed heroin five and 12 times respectively in recent months (December 2012 to February 2013). The union sports ministry Monday asked the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) to carry out a test on Vijender following the latest drugs controversy around him. The blood and urine tests were conducted Wednesday. "The Fatehgarh Sahib police today arrested boxer Ram Singh in the drugs case already registered against international smugglers Anoop Singh and others. He is the 16th accused who has been arrested in this case," a Punjab police spokesman said here Wednesday evening. Police investigators said Ram Singh, who had been questioned several times by them in the drugs case, was arrested after huge quantities of lifestyle drugs and raw material for these drugs were … Continue reading →

At least when it comes to marijuana, the war on drugs is over. Two states have passed marijuana legalization laws that fly in the face of national drug policy. Polling on the issue shows a rejection of prohibition. The opinions of law enforcement commanders has begun to shift. For some who want to cut the budget, the drug war is looking like a good place to start. Now, for the first time, when a marijuana lobbyist calls a member of Congress, they get asked for money, not hung up on,Allen St. Pierre, the executive director of NORMLtold Business Insider. And, as St. Pierre was proud to point out, the man in the White House personally invented a new way to smoke marijuana in high school. Things are changing. In February, Obama's "drug czar" Gil Kerlikowski, the d irector of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, admitted several failures on the part of the administration when it came to the War on Drugs. "You can't arrest your way out of this problem," he said to Macleans, a Canadian magazine," The administration has not done a particularly good job of, one, talking about marijuana as a public health issue,and number two, … Continue reading →