# Why does low dose aspirin cost twice as much as regular asprin?



## tschwa2 (Dec 6, 2012)

I was at CVS last night buying low dose aspirin for my grandmother.  I found the lowest cost for store brand low dose (81mg) aspirin was $0.02 per pill or $19.99 for 1000 pills.  The regular strength (325mg) CVS aspirin was $8.99 for 1000 pills or less than $0.01 per pill.   Why?  I looked online to see if I could find it less at walmart.com.  I couldn't.  I did find a smaller package but the lowest price was still $0.02 per pill and generally it was lower for full strength.


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## SmithOp (Dec 6, 2012)

More production cost for smaller, I buy mine at Costco.


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## dioxide45 (Dec 6, 2012)

robcrusoe said:


> They charge more for it because they think they can.



Exactly. With is pretty much being "prescribed" as a maintenance medicine, they charge more because they can. People can also use their Health Care Reimbursement Account funds for it if they have their doctor write a prescription. Something that someone is unlikely to do just to buy regular strength Aspirin for pain relief.

Pretty much a supply/demand issue. They can churn out the same number of pills from the same line regardless if they are low dose or regular. But when a pill is taken every day instead of on occasion, the demand may be higher for tat drug. When buying them for my FIL, I have seen some stores sold out of the low dose but with plenty of regular on the shelves.


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## ace2000 (Dec 6, 2012)

You all think it's a piece of cake to strip the aspirin out of those little pills?


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## Passepartout (Dec 6, 2012)

I have noticed something similar down at the neighborhood Kroger's. Generic acetaminophen, ibuprofen and Naproxin all have bottles of like 500 for $4.00. Aspirin 325's are $9.99 for 250. Wassup with this?

I guess us aspirin takers should be thankful it was discovered hundreds of years ago. I read that if all the benefits of aspirin were discovered now, it would be a prescription medication.

Jim


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## csxjohn (Dec 6, 2012)

Same deal with the oil filter for my car.  It takes a filter that is just the cartridge with out the steel outside like the more common ones.  I pay twice as much for it even though it is smaller, lighter, has less material and skips a production process.


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## Beaglemom3 (Dec 6, 2012)

Not sure if this could be it, but when I was in grad school (when ice covered most of the earth and dinosaurs roamed freely), in our organic chemistry lab we did an experiment on acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) purity comparing  Norwich aspirin against Bayer asprin. 

It was a simple test as I recall. We used litmus paper and compared the blue or purple color results.

The Bayer tested better than the Norwich brand for purity and if I recall, strength, but cannot say that with 100% certainty.

I always think of this when purchasing aspirin to this day.


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## dioxide45 (Dec 6, 2012)

Beaglemom3 said:


> Not sure if this could be it, but when I was in grad school (when ice covered most of the earth and dinosaurs roamed freely), in our organic chemistry lab we did an experiment on acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) purity comparing  Norwich aspirin against Bayer asprin.
> 
> It was a simple test as I recall. We used litmus paper and compared the blue or purple color results.
> 
> ...



But the OP is comparing CVS regular to CVS brand low dose. So shouldn't the quality be the same?


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## Beaglemom3 (Dec 6, 2012)

dioxide45 said:


> But the OP is comparing CVS regular to CVS brand low dose. So shouldn't the quality be the same?



  Just wanted to point out that there are differences in purity and/or binders in manufacturers whether or not they're generic v. generic or brand v. generic, but I understand why this point wasn't that clear. Thanks ! I'm tired (had PT today and then worked 10 hours).


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## bogey21 (Dec 6, 2012)

If it if for a "Maintenance" program, buy the cheapest 325s you can find.  What you lose in purity you will make up in quantity ver the smaller dosage pills.  The key is to faithfully take a daily aspirin.  I did for 20 years.  In November 2010 I had two mini-strokes.  I attribute my strokes being "mini" rather than "full blown" to the amount of aspirin that was in my blood stream.  It may have saved my life.

George


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## pjrose (Dec 6, 2012)

Beaglemom3 said:


> Not sure if this could be it, but when I was in grad school (when ice covered most of the earth and dinosaurs roamed freely), . . . .



Hey, I was there then too!  Maybe we knew some of the same people


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## Beaglemom3 (Dec 6, 2012)

pjrose said:


> Hey, I was there then too!  Maybe we knew some of the same people



  1985, Regis College, Weston, Ma. Dr. Jane Roman's Organic Chemistry ?  Dinosaurs and ice all over the place ? Cute Neanderthal jocks ?

  Ha !


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## pjrose (Dec 6, 2012)

Beaglemom3 said:


> 1985, Regis College, Weston, Ma. Dr. Jane Roman's Organic Chemistry ?  Dinosaurs and ice all over the place ? Cute Neanderthal jocks ?
> 
> Ha !



I certainly remember the dinosaurs and ice, but we were a bit further north, in Cow Hampster, and I was married to my CNJ (who is/was neither a N nor a J, but very cute)


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## geoand (Dec 6, 2012)

bogey21 said:


> If it if for a "Maintenance" program, buy the cheapest 325s you can find.  What you lose in purity you will make up in quantity ver the smaller dosage pills.  The key is to faithfully take a daily aspirin.  I did for 20 years.  In November 2010 I had two mini-strokes.  I attribute my strokes being "mini" rather than "full blown" to the amount of aspirin that was in my blood stream.  It may have saved my life.
> 
> George


Many people can not tolerate even 2 of the 83 gram stuff because of bruising.  I thot doc told me to take 2 of those mini guys.  After taking them for a week or so, I bruised too easily.  Someone could put there finger on my forearms and push and I would have a bruise there the size of a silver dollar.  Had bruises all over my legs and body (trunk) from doing things like working in the garden.  In my case, it could have been a combo of the aspirin and the omega 3 oils that I was taking since either product contributes to slowing coagulation when cut.


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## geoand (Dec 6, 2012)

tschwa2 said:


> I was at CVS last night buying low dose aspirin for my grandmother.  I found the lowest cost for store brand low dose (81mg) aspirin was $0.02 per pill or $19.99 for 1000 pills.  The regular strength (325mg) CVS aspirin was $8.99 for 1000 pills or less than $0.01 per pill.   Why?  I looked online to see if I could find it less at walmart.com.  I couldn't.  I did find a smaller package but the lowest price was still $0.02 per pill and generally it was lower for full strength.



I would think that the reason it is more expensive is because it takes smaller fingers to form those tiny little pills.  So, the recruitment and locating of those smaller folk adds to the cost.


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## SmithOp (Dec 6, 2012)

ace2000 said:


> You all think it's a piece of cake to strip the aspirin out of those little pills?



They have never worked in a manufacturing plant, this discussion about $20 for something that will last 3 years is beyond miserly.


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## Clemson Fan (Dec 6, 2012)

Pretty much all of the adult 81mg Aspirin sold is enterically coated to decrease the likelihood of it causing ulcers since its being taken on a daily basis.  Probably less then half of the adult strength 325mg aspirin sold is enterically coated.  Even if it is enterically coated, there is much more surface area to coat for four 81mg pills then one 325mg pill.  Due to the enteric coating I bet there is more production cost for the 81mg pills.


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## tschwa2 (Dec 6, 2012)

I'm not saying it is too expensive I was just wondering why something that had 1/4th the active ingredient cost more, even in bulk.  Most medicines that I take cost slightly lower or the same for lower doses- not more.

I would have just went with the higher dose but most studies seem to recommend the lower dose for daily use to avoid or reduce the side effects like bleeding ulcers.  I saw one report that suggested that 75-81 mg's 3 times a week is just as effective in reducing heart attacks.  It is definitely not worth it to split pills to save a penny a day.



> Pretty much all of the adult 81mg Aspirin sold is enterically coated to decrease the likelihood of it causing ulcers since its being taken on a daily basis. Probably less then half of the adult strength 325mg aspirin sold is enterically coated. Even if it is enterically coated, there is much more surface area to coat for four 81mg pills then one 325mg pill. Due to the enteric coating I bet there is more production cost for the 81mg pills.



I thought of that too and while the brand name 81 mg was coated the CVS was not coated in either strength.


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## ace2000 (Dec 6, 2012)

SmithOp said:


> They have never worked in a manufacturing plant, this discussion about $20 for something that will last 3 years is beyond miserly.


 
I think this thread is giving me a headache...


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## Beaglemom3 (Dec 6, 2012)

ace2000 said:


> I think this thread is giving me a headache...



  Take 2 aspirins...........................


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## falmouth3 (Dec 6, 2012)

I just saw on the news this week that the enteric coating may be preventing the benefits of taking the aspirin.  Go figure.

I also bruise so I take the 81 mg every other day.  I've always bruised easily.

I think you may be right about the enteric coating being the expensive component of the baby aspirin.


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## BJRSanDiego (Dec 7, 2012)

tschwa2 said:


> I was at CVS last night buying low dose aspirin for my grandmother.  I found the lowest cost for store brand low dose (81mg) aspirin was $0.02 per pill or $19.99 for 1000 pills.  The regular strength (325mg) CVS aspirin was $8.99 for 1000 pills or less than $0.01 per pill.
> .



Just take one of the full strength for $0.01 cent pills a day.  Over the next 10 years, you'll save around $30-40.  Another alternative would be to cut the aspirin into quarters.  You'll save lots.  

I think that this boils down to anything slightly unusual costs more than it should.


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## Don (Dec 7, 2012)

Why not just take a "children's" aspirin?  They taste better, too.


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## falmouth3 (Dec 7, 2012)

Don said:


> Why not just take a "children's" aspirin?  They taste better, too.



I thought they were of the market because of Reye's Syndrome.  But apparently it's still being sold as children's aspirin.  Just saw a generic (store) version for $1.89 for 36 tablets.  5.25 cents each.  Now that's expensive!  CVS is even more at 6.1 cents.


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