A new study by the pharmaceutical research firm Decision Resources has determined that European prices for 170 top-selling prescription medications averaged 40 percent less than U.S. prices in 2008, with even greater drug discounts is some countries.

Some of the best bargains, relative to U.S. prices, were on Prozac, Ambien and Tegretol, the study reported.

Neil Grubert, director of pricing research for Decision Resources, said such price discrepancies are not only a concern to U.S. consumers, but also to insurance providers and pharmacy benefit managers:

The current economic downturn will focus increasing attention on the cost of prescription drugs, and many payers will look to compare the prices they pay with prices in other markets. The United States is widely assumed to be by far the most expensive pharmaceutical market, but pharmaceutical companies and payers need to be aware of the enormous price variations by therapeutic area and drug type from one country to another.

Decision Resources’ 2009 Chartbook of International Pharmaceutical Prices examines overall price differentials among the world’s largest pharmaceutical markets, including the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan.

Many Freebee Foreign Pharmacy members have discovered discounts greater than 40 percent — even up to 80 percent — using Freebee’s comparison shopping search engine.

Everyone loves a freebie. But in the world of online pharmacies, it’s important to know when an offer is too good to be true. If you are duped by a shady operator, you can wind up getting ripped off, receiving harmful counterfeit medications, or both.

Freebee Foreign Pharmacy helps you find the best prescription drug deals on the Web — available from safe and licensed Canadian, Australian and other foreign pharmacies. Every pharmacy in our network is licensed in its home country and verified by third-party authorities. That means that when you shop through Freebee Foreign Pharmacy, you can rest assured that the savings you get are real — not to mention really good!

How good? Depending on the medication, you can save up to 80 percent on brand-name prescriptions through Freebee Foreign Pharmacy. On average, our members tell us they save about 50 percent on their overall drug costs. This typically adds up to hundreds or thousands of dollars per year in savings — far more than the cost of membership.

Making smart decisions with your money is the name of the game at Freebee Foreign Pharmacy, and it’s also what we’ll be blogging about in this space. We’ll offer money-saving tips on prescription drugs, health and beauty products, and much more. We’ll also alert you to those offers that sound better than they are — or that you should stay away from entirely.

We encourage you to come back often to get the latest tips! And if you’re interested in joining Freebee Foreign Pharmacy, you can learn more here.