I was paying $135 or so for Nasonex, which I thought was ridiculously expensive at the time. When Flonase became an OTC product, I thought Nasonex would become cheaper. That's what competition is supposed to do. But noooooo... I went to CVS today and the price was $218 for Nasonex. That is a total ripoff... Why did the price go up? So what's the difference between Merck, the manufacturer, and a robber with a gun on the street? Answer: The gun. Merck robs you without using a gun. Very clever, taking advantage of peoples' medical conditions.