RUMFORD – For two consecutive years, Bartash’s drug store in downtown Rumford has made the top 10 list for providing the lowest cost drugs in the state.

“We work hard to be there, to keep our costs down,” said the pharmacy’s owner, John Bartash.

A state Department of Human Services survey released this week showed that Bartash’s provides prescriptions for 15 of the most popular drugs, often used by older people, at a cost of $665.01. Compare that with many other pharmacies, largely supermarket or discount stores, with numbers as high as $818 or more for the same drugs.

For example, Lipitor sells for $64.99 at Bartash’s, compared with $79.19 at a competitor’s. Other cost differences are $9.99 for isosorbide mononitrate at Bartash’s, $30.59 for the competitor’s; $11.95 for albuterol aer, versus $20.69; $74.99 for Zoloft versus $80.09.

Bartash, owner of the Congress Street business for 40 years, said he relies heavily on buying drugs through a wholesaler that allows independent drug stores to join together to buy prescription drugs.

He said he tries to charge the same for a drug whether it is private pay or covered by insurance with a co-pay. Some stores try to make up the difference of filling prescriptions covered by insurance by charging higher for other drugs, he said.

He said, too, that keeping traditional hours rather than staying open on nights, weekends and holidays helps him reduce his overhead.

“It’s very expensive to stay open during those times. That is a price consumers pay for the convenience of getting prescriptions then,” he said.

Bartash’s is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays.

Most of the top 10, lowest priced pharmacies are independently owned, according to the survey.

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