For patients who see a UK provider, average prescription medication costs at our UK Retail Pharmacies are well below the national average. 

A report issued in Fall 2022 by the company GoodRx said Lexington is the most expensive city in the U.S. for prescription medicines. That article, however, and the study it was based on, did not include data from UK Retail Pharmacies.

In fact, according to our data, UK HealthCare patients who have prescription insurance pay an average copay of just $5.13 for non-specialty medications, excluding insulin, at UK Retail Pharmacies. That's the average. Many prescriptions are significantly lower. 

UK patients with commercial insurance pay an average of $6.67 and those with Medicaid pay an average of just 67 cents per prescription. 

(Actual costs will depend on the medication and the customer's insurance.)

Even self-pay patients pay less. The average prescription costs for patients who do not have or choose not to use insurance is only $17.68. (Because this figure is the average, some medications will cost more than this.)

Insulin prices also fall well below the national average, however. For UK HealthCare patients with insurance, the average cost of insulin at UK Retail Pharmacies is less than $18.00, and for self-pay customers, it is $29.03.

Patients who see UK medical providers see significant discounts on top of the already low prices, and members of the UK Health Plans (HMO/PPO) get half off most copays (up to $60) in addition to other discounts. 

Patients and customers of UK Retail Pharmacies do not sacrifice quality or service. Studies show that patients who use a pharmacy associated with their health system actually do better on their therapy than those who use a commercial pharmacy. One reason for this is that our staff can easily consult with providers and clinic staff to make sure each patient gets exactly the therapy they need.

While not included in the cost data above, UK Retail Pharmacies also offers a Specialty Pharmacy, which offers highly personalized services to patients whose medications require special handling.

Transferring prescriptions to UK Retail Pharmacies is easy!

Want to take advantage of the great services and discounts at UK Retail Pharmacies? Transferring your prescriptions to one of our locations just got even easier! Simply scan the QR code with your phone (or click here), choose your preferred location and provide your prescription information. We'll do the rest.

Retail Pharmacies

UK HealthCare now offers eight retail pharmacy locations: Chandler Retail Pharmacy, Good Samaritan Retail Pharmacy, Kentucky Clinic Pharmacy, Turfland, University Health Pharmacy, The Apothecary at UK Gatton Student Center, and Fountain Court Retail Pharmacy at 245 Fountain Court in S. Lexington. These full-service pharmacies are open to patients, staff, UK students and the general public. The Bluegrass Clinic Pharmacy, located at 3101 Beaumont Centre Drive in S. Lexington is open to UK employees and patients of the Bluegrass Care Clinic only. Most insurance plans are accepted. 

All of our retail pharmacies offer:

• FREE mail delivery. Requests received by 11 a.m. usually are mailed the same day.
• Easy refills using our online form. 

Our pharmacists offer a variety of services, including:

• Medication therapy management.
• Flu shots and other vaccines administered on site.
• Counseling on your medications (including proper usage, storage and full review of all the medications you are taking).
• Tobacco-cessation support.

Over-the-counter items such as cough/cold and allergies relief, smoking cessation products and pain relief medications are also available.

Free parking: We offer 30 minutes free parking in the UK HealthCare Parking Garage at 110 Transcript Ave. directly across S. Limestone from UK Chandler Hospital, or the Kentucky Clinic Garage, on Huguelet Avenue. Please bring your parking ticket for validation.

Free parking is also available in reserved pharmacy spaces in front of UK Good Samaritan Hospital or in the Good Samaritan parking garage, and free surface parking is available at the Fountain Court, Turfland and Bluegrass Clinic locations.

We are disabled accessible. 

More information: If you have questions, please feel free to contact a pharmacist at 833-333-UKRx (8579). 

Meds-to-Beds is a concierge bedside service that delivers discharge prescriptions to patients prior to leaving their hospital room at no additional cost to the patient. All patients being discharged from Chandler and Kentucky Children’s Hospitals who are not going to a rehab or nursing facility are eligible for this service. Here's how it works:

• Each patient will be identified as early as possible in their stay by a provider, nurse or pharmacist who will then notify the Meds-to-Beds staff.
• A Meds-to-Beds staff member will visit with the patient to get all of the patient information needed to fill a prescription.
• Patient Care staff will notify Meds-to-Beds when the discharge prescriptions have been written and signed, indicating that they are ready to be picked up.
• Meds-to-Beds staff will pick up the prescriptions, take them to the pharmacy to be filled and deliver the medication back to the patient’s room.
• Pediatric medications will be compounded using the same concentrations and recipes as the in-patient pharmacy.

Benefits:

• Increased patient compliance and adherence to the new drug regimen, through access to both a medication supply and drug education.
• Decreased number of patients who will need to be readmitted to the hospital.
• Patient convenience.

Delivery hours:

• UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday; prescriptions must be received by 6 p.m. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays; prescriptions must be received by 4 p.m. 
• Good Samaritan Hospital: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; prescriptions for delivery must be received by 3:30 p.m. to be delivered that day.

Accepted payment methods include:

• Insurance
• Cash
• Checks
• VISA
• MasterCard
• American Express
• Discover 

For more information:

Pharmacy Services 
UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital Pavilion A 
Phone: 859-218-3360 
Fax: 859-323-5622 (323-5M2B) 
Email: MTBmail@uky.edu 

Inpatient Pharmacy Services is here to meet the medication needs of patients in UK HealthCare’s hospitals. We work with physicians and nurses, often consulting at the bedside, to ensure that our patients get the best possible medications for their conditions.

Clinical pharmacists: Our team of clinical pharmacists ensures effective and safe medication use. Each of our clinical pharmacists is a medication expert in their specialty area. The clinical pharmacist is able to interact one on one with physicians, nurses, other healthcare professionals, families, and patients. We have pharmacists working with the following teams:

• Anticoagulation
• Internal Medicine
• Pediatrics
• Bone Marrow Transplant
• Neurology
• Psychiatry
• Cardiology
• Neurosurgery
• Pulmonary
• Emergency Medicine
• Nutrition
• Surgery
• Family Medicine
• Oncology
• Transplant
• Infectious Disease

Central and satellite pharmacies: UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital has one central pharmacy and three pharmacy satellites in pediatrics, oncology, and perioperative services. Good Samaritan Hospital has one central pharmacy.

The central pharmacies are the site for medication distribution throughout UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital, and UK HealthCare’s clinics. Pharmacists in this area are responsible for the preparation of non-sterile and sterile medications. Pharmacists in the central pharmacies work closely with the clinical pharmacists to ensure the patients receive the correct medication at the right time. Pharmacists in this area are experts in the distribution process for medications within the hospital and ensure that medication is delivered in a safe and timely manner to the patient.

The pharmacists working in the satellite pharmacies are considered medication experts in their specialty area. They work with the healthcare team to ensure safe and effective medication use. The satellite pharmacies also have a focus on medication distribution to their respective area of the hospital. Pharmacists in these areas work with the central pharmacies to ensure patients receive the correct medication and dose at the right time.

Investigational Drug Service: The Investigational Drug Service (IDS) supports all clinical drug-related research conducted by investigators at UK HealthCare. The IDS can perform many aspects of clinical trial management including randomization of patients, drug storage and inventory control, and maintenance of drug related study files just to name a few of the services offered. The IDS will ensure compliance with federal, state, and Joint Commission requirements regarding investigational drugs to ensure safe and efficient conduct of clinical drug trials.

All UK HealthCare pharmacy locations are open to UK students and employees. The University Health Service Pharmacy is open to the public, but primarily serves the UK student population and UK employees for Workers Care-related prescriptions. The pharmacy also has over-the-counter and sundry items available for self-selection. 

Pharmacy benefits program: The Human Resources office has a pharmacist available to counsel UK Health Plan participants on their medication choices. Through this free service, a pharmacist will review your medications, check for drug-to-drug interactions and make recommendations that may lower your overall cost. Recommendations can be made to switch to a preferred formulary brand from a non-preferred brand, or to switch to a generic choice.

While there is not always a generic choice available, there may be other drugs in the same therapeutic class that have lower cost alternatives. The pharmacist can forward these recommended changes to your prescriber for consideration. Controlling medication costs encourages proper medication use and may improve your overall health and reduce the possibility of medical complications.  
To speak with a pharmacist, call 859-323-1493. Go to the University Health Service Pharmacy page »

• For staff: Get information about benefit coverage for smoking cessation
• Kentucky Cancer Program: Cooper/Clayton Method to Stop Smoking is an evidence-based 13-week program led by trained facilitators that combines the use of nicotine replacement products with group support. Classes; Phone: 866-495-9838 
• GetQuit Support Plan: Information sponsored by the Pfizer drug company describing the drug Chantix™ and a free support program including a step-by-step guide. Phone: 877-242-6849
• National Cancer Institute's Smoking Quitline: Smoking cessation counselors are available to answer smoking-related questions, including quitting smokeless tobacco, in English/Spanish, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday- Friday. 877-448-7848
• National Library of Medicine & National Institutes of Health smoking cessation references.
• Kentucky's Tobacco Quit Line: The QUIT Line offers a one-on-one proactive counseling program for tobacco users. 1-800-QUIT NOW  
• Publication: When you use tobacco, your heart takes a beating