Prescription medication can be very expensive, especially if you have a chronic condition and are on a lot of medications. When you are on a budget, you may not be able to afford to pay full price for your medications. Knowing how to save on prescription medications can sometimes be the difference between illness and health and even life and death. Here are some ways that you can save on your prescription medications:
Samples:
Ask your physician for samples. Drug companies drop off samples of the newer medications to the doctors offices. They are the most expensive of the medications. If your doctor wants you on a more expensive medication, see if he has enough samples so that you don’t have to purchase your prescription from a pharmacy.
Even though the samples are for more expensive medications, when your samples are gone you can have your doctor either switch you to a cheaper drug or a generic form. Sometimes the doctor gets enough samples every month to keep giving them out to you.
Generic:
There is a huge difference in price between generic medications and brand name, especially the newer drugs. Most every medication, but not all, are available in generic form. If the medication your doctor prescribes is not available in generic form, ask him to change it to one that is.
Because of the high cost of medications, the FDA, Food and Drug Administration, have been making drug reviews easier. This allows for more generics and low cost medications to become available to consumers.
Older medications:
Physicians tend to want to make use of the newest drugs on the market. Before you let the doctor out of the exam room, ask him for the oldest version of your prescription that’s still effective for your condition. There is usually an older medication available that is much cheaper than the newer drugs.
Prescription assistance programs:
Most medications are available through a medication prescription program. A medication program is run by the drug company. The company will evaluate your income and adjust the price of the medication accordingly. Sometimes, if your income is low enough, you can get your medications free from the drug company.
Ask the doctor or nurse about a prescription medication program for your drugs. Sometimes the doctors office has medication assistant program forms right in the office. You can also apply for prescription assistance programs over the Internet.
Shop around:
Pharmacies have different prices on their medications. Call around to different pharmacies to find the least expensive one. Check out places such as Walmart and Cosco. Discount stores can offer your prescription medications for less.
Coupons
There are also coupons available at times, to give your a discount for switching pharmacies. Coupons for 50 dollars off have been offered to switch pharmacies. This could give you a considerable savings. There are also online coupons available to save you money on your prescription medications.
Discount drug cards:
You can get discount drug cards online to help reduce the cost of your medications. Most of these discount cards can be used at your local pharmacy to get a percentage off your prescription; call your pharmacy and ask if they take medication discount cards.
Mail in pharmacies:
Find out if your prescription plan uses a mail order pharmacy. You can usually get your prescription medications much cheaper through a mail order pharmacy than at a regular pharmacy or even a discount store pharmacy.
Splitting pills:
It is usually the same price to get a higher dose pill than a lower dose one. Ask your doctor to prescribe you a dosage that is double what you are suppose to take, then cut them in half. Your prescription medication will last twice as long for the same price, saving you 50 percent.
Medicare part D:
If you are on medicare, ask about their part D drug program. The medicare part D prescription plan pays for part of your medications. Shop around for a plan with no co-pay or deductible so your out of pocket expenses are lower.
Combine discounts:
You can save even more on your prescription medications by combining one or two of the discounts in this article. For example: You can combine a discount card and split your pills for an even bigger savings.
Prescription medications can be a huge expense, especially if you have a chronic condition. Don’t be embarrassed to ask your doctor about the above ways to save on prescription medications. Most doctors are willing to help you save on your medications in anyway they can.