SAN ANTONIO – A price check of name-brand over-the-counter cold, cough and flu medications showed sufferers can get more relief for their wallets by shopping at discounters and grocery stores than at drug stores.
Now that it's cold and flu season, there's congestion in the medicine aisles.
"I literally feel like my chest is ripping open every time I cough," said Vanessa Lopez, shopping for a remedy to ease her misery.
Beverly Triplet said she was finally feeling better after a month of feeling way under the weather.
"I had an awful, awful cough to the point my chest aches and rubs hurt," she said.
Nyquil to cough drops, a price comparison on 13 items at Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Target and HEB revealed some significant price swings that are nothing to sneeze at.
For example, a bottle of Nyquil that was on sale at Target for $6.49 was $8.99 at CVS. A box of Mucinex that was $11.48 at Walmart and HEB was $16.99 at Walgreens.
HEB had the bargain price on Robitussin Peak Multi-Sympton Cold medicine at $6.96. CVS' price was the highest at $10.49.
And the economy-sized bag of Halls cough drops cost 90 percent more than it did at either HEB or Walmart.
HEB had the lowest prices on the most items while the drug stores were the most expensive across the board.
Totalling the 13 items, Target, with its sales, came out the least expensive at $72.43. However, HEB and Walmart came within one dollar of that with HEB at $73.13 and Walmart at $73.30.
The drug stores were significantly more. CVS was the priciest at $103.08 and Walgreen's total was $96.17.
Drug stores often offer consumers more shopping convenience with locations and hours.
Prices were checked Feb. 15 at Northside locations. Sale prices are subject to change, and prices can vary among a retailer's locations.