Generic Zyrtec

Springtime in Portland - the allergies start. For me (Brian) the end of May and all through June is a time of sneezing, a runny nose, an itchy mouth, and sometimes even itchy eyes. Whatever blooms at this time - I am allergic to it. Most likely it is some type of grass being grown in the Willamette Valley. We're known for that here.

In the past, I had a prescription for Zyrtec. This stuff really helped, when other stuff I had tried didn't work. This stuff was expensive, and prescription drug coverage helped - but it worked. Zyrtec did not have a generic available - so the co-pay was high. $37 for a 3 month supply. This was about 40¢ per pill.

Two years ago, Zyrtec was raised to the highest co-pay level of around $75. That is just too close to $1 a pill - and I stopped getting it. I tried Claritin when it became available as a generic, since Target had a version. This had some affect on me, but not much. I was miserable for May and June.

This year's allergy season was approaching - and I wasn't looking forward to it. Somehow - I found out that Costco now had a generic version called Aller-Tec. I think I was checking what Costco sold Zyrtec for, as it had just become an over the counter medicine - so I wouldn't get it by prescription anymore. I hadn't heard this in the news or anywhere - so I was skeptical. But looking at the active ingredient, Cetirizine at 10mg - this was identical to Zyrtec.

So - one Saturday morning in May - I had gone outside to do something, and I could tell my nemesis - the grass pollen was in the air. I went to Costco that morning and picked up a bottle - $15.99 for 300 pills! It was so hard to believe! Not $1 a pill, not 70¢, not 40¢....just 5¢ a pill!

So - if you want to save some money (you'd save even if you have to join Costco and order this online if Costco isn't in your area) - get this stuff.

Kirkland Signature - Aller-Tec™ Cetirizine HCL/ Antihistamine Tablets

Compare to Zyrtec - 10 mg, 300 Tablets

$15.99 - Item # 260494