Red Hot Mamas In Charge of Change.
By: Red Hot Mamas
Published: November 5, 2013
Have you ever picked up a prescription at the pharmacy only to find out it costs practically as much as your monthly car payment? It gets my blood pressure skyrocketing just thinking about prescription drug costs. I’ve had to become more price savvy in purchasing my medications, so I’d like to share some of my tips for saving on prescription medications.
1. Have an open discussion with your doctor – Your doctor writes the prescription so you should discuss alternate treatment options and generic drug options. You might even request getting two prescriptions for the same medication. One prescription will be used for a shorter time duration (a week) and the other could be for a longer 30 day supply. This way it is easy to tell whether the medication actually agrees with you or not and you don’t waste a lot of money if it does not.
2. Consider splitting higher dose pills if your doctor says that its safe to do so. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist whether your medication can be split in half. Your doctor might consider writing on your prescription “use as directed”. And, instead of getting one month supply out of your pill, by splitting it in half, it may last you for two months. However, make sure your doctor tells you that the prescription you are taking is appropriate for splitting.
3. Log onto your drug prescriptions website. Many pharmaceutical company’s offer coupons, discounts or even free samples. If you see a discount, share this with your doctor to take advantage of the offer.
4. Do your homework before getting your prescription filled. Compare drug prices. Sometimes, drugstores and drugstore chains, may be higher priced than, for instance, buying it at Costco. So shop the cost of filling your prescription at various locations. And, if you want to shop locally, ask your pharmacy if they can match the lowest price.
5. If you absolutely have to take an expensive drug, look into a Prescription Assistance Plan. These plans help people with low incomes get brand name medications. Here are a few websites for you to explore:
- www.rxassist.org
- www.pparx.org (1-888-477-2669)
- www.needymeds.org
- www.medicare.gov (1-800-Medicare)
