This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
You may have heard that the Walgreens contract with Express Scripts expired on 12/31. For the past year, Walgreens and Express Script were in negotiations so Walgreens could continue as part of its pharmacy provider network. Walgreens was not asking for a price increase but Express Scripts wanted to severely cut Walgreens reimbursement rates. Since negotiations were not successful, many patients are having to go elsewhere to use their in-network pharmacy benefits.
Changing pharmacies can be a burden. You may not find a pharmacy that is as convenient for your family. You may have to travel further to get your medication. And what about your relationship with your current pharmacist? If you think you may have been affected be sure to check with your pharmacist. Or check the back of your prescription insurance card – if it has Express Scripts’ name you may be affected.
To minimize the disruption and inconvenience to patients Walgreens unveiled a plan including a major discount on annual membership in the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club. During this special offer, (available thru January 31st) individuals can join for only $5 (regularly $20), or $10 for a family membership (regularly $35). A family membership covers everyone in your immediate family – spouse, all dependents under the age of 23 and even pets. Benefits include:
• Over 400 generic medications value-priced at $12 for a 90-day supply, plus savings on thousands of brand-name and all other generic medications.
• Valuable discounts on select health care products and service
• Discounts on select pet prescriptions
• 10% bonus on purchases of Walgreens or Nice! brand products and photofinishing services.
I LOVE getting a 10% bonus on Walgreens and Nice! brand products. I am a fan of so many of their products and I know many of you are too. I know I’ll save more than my membership costs just from that benefit.
Keep in mind that if you are receiving benefits from Medicare, Medicaid or other federal or state programs you are ineligible for membership in the Prescription Savings Club program.
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
WOW!! Thanks for sharing this. My co-pay doubled this month from $15 to $30 for my generic prescription. I will be talking to my Walgreens pharmacist tomorrow. Thanks again for the heads up!!!!
I bought it on Sunday and I can’t wait to get my card. I know that I’ll save more than the $10 I paid for the family plan just on Walgreens brand stuff! 🙂 And for those of you who like the Walgreens Diapers or Formula, this is a major money saver!
My daughter is a pharmacy tech at Walgreens. They’ve announced that there will be major budget cuts and anticipate either a tremendous cut in hours or each store with multiple techs will lose one tech. This deal (or lack there of) with Express Scripts may be a direct impact on our family/ 🙁
Denise – I am so sorry to hear that. 🙁 It’s my understanding that Express scripts is really trying to push people to use their own mail order business and just eliminate the drug stores all together. I think there is real value in having a pharmacy staff you know and trust, I think it’s so sad.
As a pharmacy tech at Walgreens myself, I appreciate you helping to get the word out about this great program.
Thank you for posting this! I work in the photo department and have been asked about the Express Scripts. Even though I direct them to ask the pharmacy dept, they still raise their voices at us like we have anything to do with it!
This reminds me of a woman at my WG store the other day! (This particular WG is staffed with Asian staff members because of the demographics). This Chinese woman came up to the beauty counter while the cashier was helping me do my multiple transactions and she goes “CAN YOU HELP ME TRANSLATE THIS VITAMIN IN CHINESE? NONE OF THE PHARMACISTS WORKING SPEAK CHINESE.” The manager and the cashier apologized and said they were not qualified to “translate” the product because that was not their area of expertise. I knew what “Glucosamine” was in Chinese, but I did not want to say anything in case of some legal issues. She made a whole scene and finally left, and I was FINALLY able to roll my RR’s about 20 minutes later.
What was the point of this story? You have the good reasonable customers, and you have the not-so-reasonable ones I guess lol. Good luck Rennelda!!
Does the 10% NICE discount stack with the Spend $10 on NICE! products, get $2 RR promotion?
I was informed about this by the asst. manager at my favorite Walgreens, and she also told me our insurance might qualify at Walgreens. It’s worth a shot because the CVS across the street from this Walgreens WAS our pharmacy. But the manager of that CVS told me a month back “starting tomorrow, this CVS will no longer accept printed coupons because of people like you.” Well no comment needed, I never went back to that store since then :/
@Denise: I am so sorry to hear that! Must be a horrible feeling to hear about the cuts in person. My dad works for the USPS, and he’s next to be chopped if they have another route-adjustment. He’s two years away from retirement too… :/
I got my card last week. The bonus works in conjunction with coupons, and all discounts, (it is calculated on the balance). I swipe it every time I purchase anything, like you should your AARP card if you have that membership, just to keep in the habit.
I work at WG, and have already sold quite a few of these cards just for the bonus! (If our store loses our 1 tech, I will be spending most of my time working in the pharmacy, without the pay a tech receives. If you have Express Scripts, you need to tell them you NEED your Walgreens back. And you can check the cost of your scripts with the PSC at any time!
Hi Kelly! Sorry to ask, but what is a PSC? I have Express Scripts and sadly, we just had to transfer our prescriptions. I was thinking about getting this card. TIA!
Prescription Savings Club
I recently had to have an RX filled at a Walgreens (first prescription in about 6 years) and I needed 4 different medications and 2 were name brand only. I was already stressed because I was supposed to board a plane in about 10 hours to go out of the country. I pay out of pocket for my health insurance and it does not offer drug coverage, only a “disount plan”, so I was apprehensive about how much they were going to cost. The pharmacy techs were the best. They figured out which ones would be cheaper using my plan and which would be cheaper using the Walgreens plan (didn’t pay anything for it but this was a couple months ago). My beginning cost was well over $200 but after they worked their magic it was $80. So I averaged $20 per RX with no insurance coverage. The best part – I never once asked them how to get my RXs cheaper, they went out of their way to find out. Always be nice and sweet to the pharmacy tech, they can save you a bunch!