The Office on Aging conducted a drug pricing survey in Magic Valley 's eight counties, which was sponsored by the National Senior Services Corporation. Pharmacies completed surveys listing 15 of the most popular drugs prescribed to Magic Valley senior citizens. The pharmacies were asked to provide their prices for these medications, including any senior discounts.

Most pharmacies participated by returning the survey. The prices listed in this survey were valid as of May-June 2004. Since drug prices fluctuate on a daily basis, the listings here may not be valid today. The prices listed should be used only for comparison purposes and not as a shopping guide. Notice how prices fluctuate across the valley for the same medication and that a store with the lowest price for a certain medication doesn't necessarily have the lowest prices on all other medications. These price fluctuations and variations can mean lower priced meds for you.

The purpose of the survey is to provide options to help senior citizens make intelligent decisions about purchasing medications. The survey is not an encouragement to buy medications from multiple sources in order to save money. It is highly recommended that you limit the number of prescription outlets you use. Certain medications can interact poorly with other medications. If you shop at multiple pharmacies, make certain that each pharmacy knows all of the medications you are taking. It could be a matter of life or death. Also, carefully read the caveats concerning prescriptions purchased on the Internet and from over-the-border pharmacy outlets. It's important to be wise in purchasing your medications.