The Nation - News from Aug. 21, 1987

Most pharmacies are making only a modest profit off AZT, the experimental drug used to treat AIDS patients, but a few may be engaged in price gouging, a statewide survey in New York reported. The state Consumer Protection Board, which conducted the survey, said it was concerned by the high prices for AZT but was uncertain whether they were justified by the cost of manufacturing the drug. In its survey of 176 pharmacies, the board said it was quoted prices that ranged from $200 to $3,384 for a month’s supply of AZT, but the vast majority charged between $700 and $900 for the monthly dose.