ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. – A year or so ago, when customers buttonholed the pharmacists at Almand’s Drug Store here the questions were invariably about dosing or side effects. These days, they are almost always about cost. Can I get this as a generic? Is the co-pay really that high? Will you match Wal-Mart’s $4 price? ‘I’m out of Lexapro,’ a woman pleaded one recent Tuesday, speaking of her antidepressant. ‘Can I just have four pills until payday on Friday?’ Some customers request prices for a fistful of prescriptions, and then say they can fill only the cheapest two. Others ask which are most important. ‘It can be a hard question to answer,’ said Traci W. Suber, the head pharmacist. ‘The only thing I can do is let them know what they’re for, get them the cheapest available and encourage them to come back for the others when they can.’ Even with the Medicare drug benefit, even with the prevalence of low-cost generics, even with loss-leader discounting by big chains, many Americans still find themselves unable to afford the prescription medications that manage their life-threatening conditions. In downtrodden communities like Rocky Mount, where unemployment has doubled […]