Pharmaceutical Rip-off

I’ve been taking Claritin on and off now for probably three years. At first it was under prescription, and I paid about $10 each month, for 30 pills. When the meds became available over-the-counter, I tried a few other allergy med prescriptions, hoping to maintain that cheap price, but I couldn’t find anything that worked as well. So I sucked it up and paid the approximately $1/pill. Typically, Claritin seems to be $5.99 for 5, $9.99 for 10, maybe $18.99 for 20. That was annoying, but tolerable.
My friend Bret told me I could find it a little cheaper at Costco, but I’m not a member, and I wasn’t too worried about it. I knew that Walgreens had “Wal-itin”, and it was a few bucks cheaper, and I figured Costco had the same deal. A couple of bucks, no big deal.
Then I walked into Target a few days ago. Figured I’d pick up some Claritin there. They too have their own store brand. Only… it’s $16.99, for *120* pills. WHAT THE HELL?
That’s enough to really frustrate a person. Of course, I bought them, and of course, they work great. But it makes me wonder how many other pharmaceutical rip-offs are out there. What a bunch of crap. Why don’t most stores carry these? Schering Corporation, maker of Claritin-brand loratadine, should be ashamed.