A $618 Generic Prescription Cost $15 With a QR Code—Here's Why the Gap Exists

A Walgreens coupon slashed a generic drug price from $618 to $15—a 97.6% gap. The spread reflects U.S. pharmacy pricing architecture, not manufacturing cost. List prices anchor to AWP (average wholesale price), a benchmark uninsured patients pay without knowing negotiated rates exist. Discount card networks and PBMs exploit this arbitrage; manufacturers benefit from inflated anchors that drive rebates upstream.