Take a breath, and compare
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A Food and Drug Administration rule that took effect late last year removed inexpensive generic inhalers from the market, replacing them with environmentally friendly but more expensive models. And at just $9, the new Relion asthma inhaler sold at Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies may seem like a bargain.
The Relion costs $6 to $51 less than other asthma rescue inhalers -- used to open airways when asthmatics feel their breathing constricted -- sold at other stores.
But read the fine print before you reach for your wallet.
The new inhalers, propelled by a chemical called HFA that doesn’t damage the Earth’s ozone shield, are made by four manufacturers and, except for the Relion version, contain 240 puffs of medicine. The Relion inhaler contains only 60 puffs. To get 240 Relion puffs, a consumer would have to pay $36 and buy four separate canisters. That’s more than twice the cost of some 240-puff inhalers.
A spokesman for Walmart says that the company puts only 60 puffs in each canister to help reduce reliance on the rescue inhalers -- a problem many doctors acknowledge -- and that its $9 inhaler is handy as a spare to keep at the gym, school or office.
But because the inhalants don’t expire for a year or more, opt for an extra 240-puff canister.
Find local best prices at DestinationRx.com (www.drx .com). And check internetdrug coupons.com for offers that range from one free inhaler to $15 to $20 off the price or prescription co-pay of your next few inhalers.
Still using an older inhaler and need to switch? Ask your doctor for a free sample and then check the websites for discounts on subsequent prescriptions.
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