By Ami Piccirilli, Pharmacy Communications Director

UK Retail Pharmacies has some good news to share: For patients who see a UK provider, average prescription medication costs at our pharmacies are well below the national average. 

(UK Retail Pharmacies are open to everyone, but figures provided here are for those who also see a UK provider.)

A report issued in Fall 2022 by the company GoodRx said Lexington is the most expensive city in the U.S. for prescription medicines. That article, however, and the study it was based on, did not include data from UK Retail Pharmacies.

In fact, according to our data, UK HealthCare patients who have prescription insurance pay an average copay of just $5.13 for non-specialty medications, excluding insulin, at UK Retail Pharmacies. That's the average. Many prescriptions are significantly lower. 

UK patients with commercial insurance pay an average of $6.67 and those with Medicaid pay an average of just 67 cents per prescription. 

(Actual costs will depend on the medication and the customer's insurance.)

Even self-pay patients pay less. The average prescription costs for patients who do not have or choose not to use insurance is only $17.68. (Because this figure is the average, some medications will cost more than this.)

Insulin prices also fall well below the national average, however. For UK HealthCare patients with insurance, the average cost of insulin at UK Retail Pharmacies is less than $18.00, and for self-pay customers, it is $29.03.

UK HealthCare Retail Pharmacies are part of UK HealthCare and the University of Kentucky. These full-service pharmacies offer prescription medications, over-the-counter items, vaccinations, and one-stop testing and treatment for flu, COVID, strep and UTIs. (Note that services vary by location.) Most insurance plans are accepted. 

Seven locations throughout Lexington - on the UK campus and off - are open to everyone. One other location, the Bluegrass Clinic Pharmacy at 3101 Beaumont Centre Circle, is open to UK employees and patients of the Bluegrass Clare Clinic only. (Although that is expected to change next year.) 

For added convenience, UK Retail Pharmacies offer FREE mail delivery on most prescriptions. Most refill requests received by noon are mailed the same day. 

Patients who see UK medical providers see significant discounts on top of the already low prices, and members of the UK Health Plans (HMO/PPO) get half off most copays (up to $60) in addition to other discounts. 

Patients and customers of UK Retail Pharmacies do not sacrifice quality or service. Studies show that patients who use a pharmacy associated with their health system actually do better on their therapy than those who use a commercial pharmacy. One reason for this is that our staff can easily consult with providers and clinic staff to make sure each patient gets exactly the therapy they need.

While not included in the cost data above, UK Retail Pharmacies also offers a Specialty Pharmacy, which offers highly personalized services to patients whose medications require special handling.

For more information about the services available at UK Retail Pharmacies, visit ukpharmacy.org or call toll-free 833-333-UKRx (8579). If you would like to transfer prescriptions to a UK Retail Pharmacy from an outside pharmacy, simply fill out this simple form. We'll take care of the rest.