Meclizine - getting it cheaper than buying Bonine/Dramamine II OTC

[pgmrdev]

Meclizine or Meclizine HCI, better known as Bonine or Dramamine II can be had much cheaper by asking your doctor to write a rx for the generic rather than buyer the name brand OTC. I just got a 90 pill supply for $10 via mail order rx. AARP has a nice RX plan for $20/year through Walgreesn as a side note. You need to be an AARP member and it can be done on the web. You can either do a 30 day presecription in person at Walgreens or 60-90 days supply through the mail. you can do 60-90 days supply at Walgreesn but it is a percentage costlier. I find my 90 day supply of my beta blocker cheaper through this method that my standard RX plan. In addition, Walgreens has a WCard for $20/year. I get a 90 day supply of my ace inhibitor/diuretic through this card for $12. Anyway, back to Bonine and Dramamine II. Normally I pay as much for an 8 day supply of each brand that I now pay for a 90 day/ 90 pill supply through a mail order rx plan. I'm sure your rx plan will cover it even cheaper. Why pay more when you don't have to. Don't ask as to why we even started taking Meclizine for cruises to begin with. A cheap form of insurance .......

[LARGIN]

Meclizine or Meclizine HCI, better known as Bonine or Dramamine II can be had much cheaper by asking your doctor to write a rx for the generic rather than buyer the name brand OTC. I just got a 90 pill supply for $10 via mail order rx. AARP has a nice RX plan for $20/year through Walgreesn as a side note. You need to be an AARP member and it can be done on the web. You can either do a 30 day presecription in person at Walgreens or 60-90 days supply through the mail. you can do 60-90 days supply at Walgreesn but it is a percentage costlier. I find my 90 day supply of my beta blocker cheaper through this method that my standard RX plan. In addition, Walgreens has a WCard for $20/year. I get a 90 day supply of my ace inhibitor/diuretic through this card for $12. Anyway, back to Bonine and Dramamine II. Normally I pay as much for an 8 day supply of each brand that I now pay for a 90 day/ 90 pill supply through a mail order rx plan. I'm sure your rx plan will cover it even cheaper. Why pay more when you don't have to. Don't ask as to why we even started taking Meclizine for cruises to begin with. A cheap form of insurance .......

You do not need a prescription for Meclizine HCL.. You can buy at Walmart, Costco for around $6-$7 for 100. No membership required..

[wrp96]

You do not need a prescription for Meclizine HCL.. You can buy at Walmart, Costco for around $6-$7 for 100. No membership required..

 

 

I get mine at Kroger for $4. All I have to do is ask at the pharmacy counter - no prescription needed.

[Sherri1]

I bought mine last at Kmart Pharmacy. NO Rx and it was like 3 or 4 dollars...

[BoardwalkBabe]

I ask for mine at the Target pharmacy; no prescription required.

[wowsmom]

There are actually 2 strengths - one you can get from the pharmacy counter with no Rx, the other you need an Rx for.

 

I bought the 100 count bottle of the lower strength one last year at my local Rite Aid. It was about $4-5. The only drawback was that I needed to take 4 of the pills each night. If I'd gotten my doc to write an Rx, I would have only had to take 2 of the higher strength one. :)

[pgmrdev]

You do not need a prescription for Meclizine HCL.. You can buy at Walmart, Costco for around $6-$7 for 100. No membership required..

 

Many people have rx plans where they spend less than $6-7 for a generic. That was my point. Even health spending accounts will pay for an rx of Meclizine, but as of this year, they will not pay for a Meclizine OTC.

[pgmrdev]

There are actually 2 strengths - one you can get from the pharmacy counter with no Rx, the other you need an Rx for.

 

I bought the 100 count bottle of the lower strength one last year at my local Rite Aid. It was about $4-5. The only drawback was that I needed to take 4 of the pills each night. If I'd gotten my doc to write an Rx, I would have only had to take 2 of the higher strength one. :)

Meclizine comes in 12.5 and 25mg in rx form and Bonine, which is OTC, does come in 25mg. If you need to take 25mg, which I only take once a day, I am puzzled by why you are not able to get higher 25mg strength OTC?

[LARGIN]

Many people have rx plans where they spend less than $6-7 for a generic. That was my point. Even health spending accounts will pay for an rx of Meclizine, but as of this year, they will not pay for a Meclizine OTC.

 

Still do not understand. You do not need a rx to purchase Meclizine therefore you do not need any health spending plan to pay for it. You just walk up, ask for it if it is not on the shelf and pay for it out of pocket. BTW, my $6-7 was slightly high. I just bought 100 each 25mg pills at Costco for $5.55.

[snaebyllej]

Meclizine comes in 12.5 and 25mg in rx form and Bonine, which is OTC, does come in 25mg. If you need to take 25mg, which I only take once a day, I am puzzled by why you are not able to get higher 25mg strength OTC?

 

I was surprised when the generic that I bought at Wal-Mart in Florida a couple months ago turned out to be 50mg. Still under $5 for 100, and out on the shelf.

[Hoyaheel]

Still do not understand. You do not need a rx to purchase Meclizine therefore you do not need any health spending plan to pay for it. .

But if you do have a healthcare reimbursement account, you can use that pre-tax money to pay for eligible expenses - and OTC drugs are eligible. BUT, health care reimbursement account rules have changed this year, and will not reimburse for over the counter medications. You MUST get an rx for them. Even when they are available OTC.

 

At least, that's what the email my healthcare reimbursement account company sent me said.;) See, this is the text:

 

Can I use my health care card to purchase over-the-counter (OTC) medications?

Effective January 1, 2011, you will need a doctor's prescription to purchase OTC drugs and medicines, such as Claritin, Advil and Robitussin, through your health care reimbursement account. Since the new law requires a prescription for OTC drugs and medicines to be eligible for reimbursement under your health care reimbursement account, you will no longer be able to use your health care card to pay for these purchases. All debit cards linked to a health care reimbursement account, such as your WageWorks card, will be prohibited from automatically approving or substantiating OTC drug and medicine purchases since these expenses will require a doctor's prescription to establish eligibility. Merchants will be required to remove OTC drugs and medicines from their eligibility lists and you will have to provide another form of payment when purchasing OTC drugs and medicines, even if you have a doctor's prescription.

 

Will I need a prescription to purchase OTC drugs and medicines?

No. A prescription is not needed to purchase any OTC drug or medicine. However, if you want to be reimbursed for an OTC drug or medicine under your health care reimbursement account, a doctor's prescription will be required in order to process the reimbursement.

 

This thread is just a reminder to check how you purchase things - you might be able to find a cheaper option. Maybe not. But maybe:p

[LARGIN]

I was surprised when the generic that I bought at Wal-Mart in Florida a couple months ago turned out to be 50mg. Still under $5 for 100, and out on the shelf.

 

Meclizine comes in 3 strengths: 12.5 mg, 25 mg & 50 mg. The 12.5 & 25 are the most common because most people need to take 25 mg for seasickness.

[pgmrdev]

Still do not understand. You do not need a rx to purchase Meclizine therefore you do not need any health spending plan to pay for it. You just walk up, ask for it if it is not on the shelf and pay for it out of pocket. BTW, my $6-7 was slightly high. I just bought 100 each 25mg pills at Costco for $5.55.

 

Not sure how much simplier I can put this. You pay nothing if you use a health spending account except HPSA dollars. I am assuming, possibly in error, that you know what a health spending account is. Since Meclizine is a drug, if you get an rx from your doctor and you can get a 90 day supply of generics for $2, 3 or 4 dollars, why spend more. Now with regard to a health spending account, you are putting dollars away for drugs and co-pays. You can use your special health spending account to pay using you health spending account Visa/MC. Starting in 2011, non-rx OTC medicines cannot be applied to your health pland spending account. As you say, you don't need an rx, but if you can pay less for a generic rx and/or use dollars from your health plan spending account, why take dollars out of your pocket for something that can be paid for with a HPSA? I rather potentially use dollars that cannot be refunded at years end from a HPSA rather than from my pocket, even for a few dollars more although many people will pay less than your $5 for generics with an rx. Not all of us have a lot of disposable income. If there is a bertter way, why not use it? Have you checked out what you would pay for the same supply generic from your drug plan if you have one? We shop around for cruises prices. Why not apply that methodology to what else we buy? If you are afraid to ask your doctor for an rx, that I understand.

[Toto2Kansas]

Still do not understand. You do not need a rx to purchase Meclizine therefore you do not need any health spending plan to pay for it. You just walk up, ask for it if it is not on the shelf and pay for it out of pocket. BTW, my $6-7 was slightly high. I just bought 100 each 25mg pills at Costco for $5.55.

For me, it would be easier to just purchase it. To get an RX, most would have to also visit their MD for the script.........sounds like six of one, half dozen of the other, when you can just walk in and purchase it without having to visit your MD and go through all of those motions to save less than $5. :confused: Besides, they do have an expiration date, and sometimes buying a huge bottle is silly, as before you would use half of them, they would expire I would think?

[LARGIN]

Not sure how much simplier I can put this. You pay nothing if you use a health spending account except HPSA dollars. I am assuming, possibly in error, that you know what a health spending account is. Since Meclizine is a drug, if you get an rx from your doctor and you can get a 90 day supply of generics for $2, 3 or 4 dollars, why spend more. Now with regard to a health spending account, you are putting dollars away for drugs and co-pays. You can use your special health spending account to pay using you health spending account Visa/MC. Starting in 2011, non-rx OTC medicines cannot be applied to your health pland spending account. As you say, you don't need an rx, but if you can pay less for a generic rx and/or use dollars from your health plan spending account, why take dollars out of your pocket for something that can be paid for with a HPSA? I rather potentially use dollars that cannot be refunded at years end from a HPSA rather than from my pocket, even for a few dollars more although many people will pay less than your $5 for generics with an rx. Not all of us have a lot of disposable income. If there is a bertter way, why not use it? Have you checked out what you would pay for the same supply generic from your drug plan if you have one? We shop around for cruises prices. Why not apply that methodology to what else we buy? If you are afraid to ask your doctor for an rx, that I understand.

 

I guess I am too practical.. How much do you pay your doctor to see you and to write the RX. Add that to the time and travel costs getting there. Then add the cost for the pills.. I bet more than just wandering over to your local Walmart or Costco and buying directly for $5.55

[cruiseron36]

If you are using your health spending account yyou are using your own money - so it it not free plus you will pay your doctor $75 for an office call to get a $5 medication???? Do the math.

[pgmrdev]

For me, it would be easier to just purchase it. To get an RX, most would have to also visit their MD for the script.........sounds like six of one, half dozen of the other, when you can just walk in and purchase it without having to visit your MD and go through all of those motions to save less than $5. :confused: Besides, they do have an expiration date, and sometimes buying a huge bottle is silly, as before you would use half of them, they would expire I would think?

 

Well, if you never visit a doctor, ever, well, I guess you are better off. Me, like many other people, have medical issues that require maintenance visits, in my case every 3 months due to rx cycles. In addition, I am disabled. Even though we won't cruise till October 29, I like to plan in advance. In addition, most rx's are good for over a year and with Meclizine, probably much longer. Since you never broached the issue, I am assume you don't have a health plan spending account. Most who do don't guess wisely a year in advance as to what their predicted costs will be and run the risk of losing leftover dollars in their health spending account. But since you never go to a doctor, your way seems the only way to go .....

[Ethel5]

I guess I am too practical.. How much do you pay your doctor to see you and to write the RX. Add that to the time and travel costs getting there. Then add the cost for the pills.. I bet more than just wandering over to your local Walmart or Costco and buying directly for $5.55

 

 

If I had a medication spending account, I would rather pay the $5.55 out of pocket and save the spending account for drugs that cost a lot! Just my opinion.

[cruiseron36]

If I had a medication spending account, I would rather pay the $5.55 out of pocket and save the spending account for drugs that cost a lot! Just my opinion.

 

 

Makes sense to me!!!

[jonikal]

Since we tore up our AARP cards in disgust a long time ago, glad to know that you can get this medication OTC w/o fuss.

[pgmrdev]

If I had a medication spending account, I would rather pay the $5.55 out of pocket and save the spending account for drugs that cost a lot! Just my opinion.

 

Obviously, and I thought I made it clear, I don't make a special visit to a doctor for Meclizine. That would not be very economical. I can't imagine, knowing you are cruising as far in advance as one does, that one doesn't visit a doctor in all that time for any other reason? And cost? Medical insurance? But if one never, ever visits a doctor in their life, well, then you are right. Me? I have visited my doctor twice in the last week and obviously not for Meclizine. But if one is there for any other reason, my doctor doesn't require a separate visits for Meclizine. If your doctor does, you may want to think about finding another. I call that bambooziling a patient. As for cost of visit, I pay nothing for an office visit. I am especially unlucky for being disabled but am lucky in that I have good medical insurance ......

[pgmrdev]

Since we tore up our AARP cards in disgust a long time ago, glad to know that you can get this medication OTC w/o fuss.

$20 a year for the AARP Walgreens card is a bargain. Especially if one doesn't have any rx plans. I am not rich, nor independent enough to tear up my card. Having membership for a inexpensive supplemental medical plan ($62/month) was very much worth the price of membership as I collected more than I paid in every year I had my supplemental plan.

[mytime53]

If I had a medication spending account, I would rather pay the $5.55 out of pocket and save the spending account for drugs that cost a lot! Just my opinion.

 

For the sake of simplicity, let's say you have $25 in an HPSA. Over the course of time you need both a $5 prescription and a $25 prescription filled. It doesn't matter which one you submit first--you will have to spend $5 more than you get reimbursed.