Ten years ago, nobody in the United States worried about the price of prescription medicine. The economy was booming, and most people could afford to have prescriptions filled with or without a good health insurance plan. Now, times are changing, the economy is falling, and medicines are becoming more expensive.

Area pharmacies like corporate chains, i.e. Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Harvey’s and Winn-Dixie, along with smaller locally owned pharmacies, like Clinic Drugs, are doing their part to provide, as Lee Pinnell, Doctor of Pharmacy at Clinic Drugs stated, “quality service while providing people with a resources so they can make the wise choice in medicines and food.”

Clinic Drugs, according to Pinnell, has offered “for the past two years, generic medicines to our customers for special prices.”

“You can get a prescription filled for three months, which is 90 pills, for $12,” said Pinnell.

“We have several hundred drugs available on the list for this program,” said Pinnell, continuing, “In fact, every drug store has a list.”

“Independent drug stores, like us, research has shown, that these stores are cheaper or less expensive on all drugs.”

In October of 2002, the Maine Department of Human Services released its third annual survey of prescription prices for fifteen common drugs at 106 independent and chain pharmacies statewide. The ten lowest priced pharmacies (based on the cost of all fifteen drugs combined) were all locally owned drugstores.

Clinic Drugstore was established in 1927, with the Pinnells taking over in 1992.

Gary Williams, Pharmacy Manager of Harvey’s Pharmacy in Americus, said, “We offer a free Harvey’s Healthy Saver Plan, which is an in-house program, that doesn’t cost anyone anything to join, and you get a 90 day supply for $10.99.”

Williams also stated that the plan “has about 200 maintenance medicines and this increases each year.”

“We do this because of economic times, and try to help people on fixed incomes especially,” said Williams.

He explained, “It is in addition to the insurance they have.”

Williams stated, “We also will match anyone else’s plan.”

Winn Dixie, Walgreens’, CVS and Rite Aid also offer special plans for prescriptions as well. As of press time, corporate offices had not returned the calls requesting information.