Beware! Farmacia Cristina Overcharging on Prescription Prices

The other day I ran out of one of my Epilepsy meds, so I thought I'd get them at Farmacia Cristina until I went to Costco yesterday. There is a Maximum Public Price imprinted on all medications in Mexico.

The Maximum Public Price was 545 pesos. They had a sticker over it for 677 pesos. I paid 504 pesos with their "supposed" discount.

Yesterday I was at Costco and got my prescription: Maximum Public Price 545 pesos - my discounted price 464 pesos.

3 bux, John.
What in the world would you do with a windfall like that. Oh, I know, put it in the gas tank for your next trip to Costco! There ya go.

Geebus, lemme tell you something John, if you're ever in a bind Farmacia Christina is the one who will go to bat for you. Farmacia Cristina is the one pharmacy who would be happy to call the supplier for excipient information for trailrunner. I only deal with farmacia Cristina and I really don't care what they charge. They're worth it.

E-raq wrote:Geebus, lemme tell you something John, if you're ever in a bind Farmacia Christina is the one who will go to bat for you. Farmacia Cristina is the one pharmacy who would be happy to call the supplier for excipient information for trailrunner. I only deal with farmacia Cristina and I really don't care what they charge. They're worth it.

Farmacia Guadalajara has gone way out of there way for me. BUT, you don't know Mexican law. Why do you think they IMPRINT Maximum Public Price on the box? It's against the law to charge more.

Hello Joec
if you paid 504 you did not pay over the 545 so what is your problem??? The price is what you pay and what is printed on your receipt.

Farmacia Cristina is very good so you paid 3 dollars or whatever less going to Costco, obviously neither your time nor gas or wear and tear matters to you.
I will pay more any day rather than drive to Costco.

brigitte wrote:Hello Joec
if you paid 504 you did not pay over the 545 so what is your problem??? The price is what you pay and what is printed on your receipt.

Farmacia Cristina is very good so you paid 3 dollars or whatever less going to Costco, obviously neither your time nor gas or wear and tear matters to you.
I will pay more any day rather than drive to Costco.

it has NOTHING to do with what you pay after the discount. It has to do with Maximum Public Price required by Mexican Law to be imprinted on the box and individual stores are not allowed to increase their prices over that limit..

I spend 2800 pesos a month on my meds out of pocket. I save more than 200 pesos a month on my meds in Costco. I am already in Costco for dozens of other things, so I don't go special to Costco for my meds. 2400 + pesos ($200 USD a year) that I save per year on my meds in Costco plus all my other savings for whatever I buy is well worth the trip and the price of gas.

For all of those who will not drive to Costco, you can buy the same Costco items at Super "Mini Costco" Lake and pay 30% to 40% MORE because you have money to pee away. It must be nice top be rich like some of you, however I don't have that privelege.

Gee John, did you ever consider that the medication was packaged in 2012, and the price allowed by Profeco went up for 2013? Why don't you ask Profeco?

I'll save you a few hours of Google translate - here's the Profeco price guide page:
http://www.profeco.gob.mx/precios/canasta/home.aspx?th=1

DonPito wrote:Gee John, did you ever consider that the medication was packaged in 2012, and the price allowed by Profeco went up for 2013? Why don't you ask Profeco?

You're way off. Both boxes had the same date, thus the one from Farmacia Cristina should not have been stickered over. Nothing to do with Profeco.

If you go to Costco anyways it is fine for you. I do not shop at Costco so it is more expensive for me to go to Guadalajara. It all depends on your situation.

My point is that the price I pay at Cristina is less than the maximum price posted so I do not see how "we have to watch out for Cristina selling at prices higher then the maximum price".

The 40 pesos difference between the 2 establishments does not constitute a 30 to 40% difference in my book. The 677 pesos price is irrelevant since no one is sold the merchandise at that price.

Your saving is more like 10% not 30 to 40% and that is if you do not count your time or gas..etc..

Not all medicine has a maximum public price. As usual the OP is simply entertaining us all with another of his endless, ignorant rants.

And who is the one that frequently generalizes by calling Lakeside people "cheap"?

Medicines packaged on the same date could cost the wholesaler more, or they may charge the pharmacy more than the last order. Hence, the pharmacy raises it's max price to above the stamped price. Then they apply the discount; some pharmacy discounts are better than others. What I don't like is pharmacies raising the price on all remaining stock in the store rather than just the new stock. But they all do it as well as SuperLake, WalMart and Soriana on food stuffs. Get over it!