New York State Prescription Drug Price Comparison Web Site Is Inconsistent, According to Report
A New York state Web site designed to help residents compare pricing information for medications provides inconsistent information, according to a report released Wednesday by the New York Public Interest Research Group, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports. The site, which was created in 2006 through state legislation, lists the cost of common medications by region, but those costs can vary by hundreds of dollars, according to the group. The AP/Newsday reports that it is unclear whether the inconsistencies reflect different prices based on where consumers shop, or if the site contains inaccurate or outdated data.
Blair Horner, executive director of NYPIRG, said, "The law is laudable, the goals are important, the public needs it," adding, "The program, though, needs to be fixed." Craig Burridge, the executive director of the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York, said the society is working with the New York Department of Health to correct errors and update the site. According to the report, other states -- such as Florida, Michigan and Vermont -- have drug price comparison Web sites that contain similar inconsistencies (AP/Long Island Newsday, 4/8).