HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON MEDICATIONS |
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The price of medications continue to increase. If you have a chronic illness and take several medications, the costs may become a serious issue and a burden on you. There are ways to save money on medications. Your first step is to speak with your doctor about your financial concerns. Your doctor will be more willing to write a prescription for a generic medication or change your therapy to a less-expensive alternative if she/he knows that you are concerned about money. www.bestpharmaciesonline.info provides some well-established ways to save money on your medications: |
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Generic medications can save you up to 80% on the cost of a prescription compared with the brand name drug. Ask your doctor if there is a generic drug available to treat your condition. Example: In September 2008, a large drugstore chain charged $80 for a 30-day supply of Zocor 10 mg, a medication used to treat high cholesterol. The generic version (Simvastatin) costs $20, a difference that would save $720.00 each year. At this Australian online pharmacy Simvastatin (10mg) 30 tabs costs from $26.15 and 30 tabs (5mg) costs $19.48 while at Prescription Giant (US) generic Zocor (SImvastatin) (10mg) 30 tabs costs $19.99 while 90 tabs costs $56.97. While at Generic pharmacy the generic Zocor (20 mg) costs $159 for 90 pills. |
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Shop around at pharmacies in your area. Pharmacies often vary widely in what they charge for a medication. To save on gasoline, call your local pharmacy or look online; some large drugstore chains, such as Drugstore, Walgreens, Prescription Giant (US). |
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Buy medications online. An online pharmacy can provide you with an easy and private way to buy prescription and over-the-counter medications, often at a more affordable price. Online pharmacies are especially convenient if you live in a rural area, do not drive or are disabled, frail or homebound or want to order from a foreign pharmacy. Internet technology also enables you to compare drug prices and shop for bargains. Buying your medications online can be easy. Just make sure you do it safely! Example: In September 2008, the retail price of ten 50 mg tablets of Viagra, a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction, was $162. At four well-known and legitimate online pharmacies, the price ranged from $133 to $156. The price of generic Viagra 50mg (20 tabs) at this Australian online pharmacy was $28.59 and at Prescription Giant brand name Viagra (50 mg 10 tabs) was $133.99. At Generic pharmacy generic Viagra (50mg) 44 tabs was $101 while 180 tabs (50mg) was $281. |
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Shop for generics at "Big Box" stores. If you take generic drugs, you may be able to buy these for $4, for a 30-day supply, or $10, for a 90-day supply, at a large national chain store, such as Wal-Mart, Target and Drugstore. In some areas of the country, your local supermarket pharmacy may have low cost generic drugs too. You can visit the pharmacy section of these store's websites to find a list of available cheap generics. Example: In September 2008, a large drugstore chain charged $287 for a 90-day supply of Paxil 10 mg, a medication used to treat depression and anxiety. At the same drugstore, the generic version (paroxetine) cost $90; however, Wal-Mart offered a 90-day supply of paroxetine for $10.c. At this Australian online pharmacy the price of generic Paxil (25mg) 30 tabs was $31.88 while 12.5mg (30 tabs) costs $24.64. At Prescription Giant (US) the price for brand name Paxil (20 mg) 30 tabs was $103.98 while the same thing in generic version was just $3.99. |
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Stick to the no-name store brand when buying an over-the-counter (OTC) medication. As with prescription medications, OTC generic drugs are less expensive than their name brand counterparts, and they are safe and effective. Example: In September 2008, a large chain drugstore was selling the brand name allergy medication Claritin for $39.99 for 60 tablets. The drugstore's house brand of loratadine, the generic version of Claritin, was selling for $10.19 for 60 tablets. |
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Go postal and buy through the mail. If you have a health plan with drug coverage, you most likely can order a 90-day supply of your prescription medications directly from the company that manages your health plan's drug benefit (known as a pharmacy benefit manager, or PBM). Your medications are delivered to your home, and you may be able to save up to 25% off your drug copay. For example, if the copay for your medication is $25 and you get your prescription filled monthly, you will spend $75 every three months. If you order a 90-day supply from your health plan's PBM, however, you may pay only $50 every three months. If purchasing from an foreign online pharmacy go for 90 days (3 months) supply instead of for eg.one month supply and save money. |
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Learn about pill splitting. Splitting pills can save you money, because drug companies often charge a similar price for varying doses of medication. Some pills, such as capsules, enteric-coated pills and long-acting pills, cannot be split. Check with your pharmacist to see if your medication can be split. Example: In September 2008, a popular online pharmacy charged $120 for 30 tablets of 20 mg of Lipitor (atorvastatin) and $120 for 30 tablets of 40 mg of Lipitor. If your doctor had prescribed 40 mg of Lipitor, you could have purchased the larger dose, split the tablet in half and enjoyed a savings of $60 each month. Enteric coated pills Definition: Enteric-coated pills have a special coating to prevent the medication from dissolving in your stomach. This is intended to prevent irritation of the lining of your stomach from the drug or to prevent the drug from being destroyed by the acids in your stomach. The term "enteric" refers to the small intestine" and implies that your medication will move from your stomach to your small intestine before it dissolves. Examples: Ascriptin-Enteric - an enteric-coated form of aspirin used to prevent irritation of the stomach lining. Long acting pills Definition: Extended-release medications have special coatings or ingredients that control how fast the drug is released from the pill into your body. This may allow you to take certain medications only once or twice a day, instead of more often. Some extended-release medications have the letters "XL" or "LA" or "XR" in their name. Also Known As: long-acting medication Examples: Detrol LA (tolterodine) is a medication used to treat overactive bladder. Effexor XR (venlafaxine) is a medication used to treat depression. Toprol XL (metoprolol) is a medication used to treat high blood pressure. Avoid medications with XL, LA, XR, or CR in their name. These are extended-release medications that have special coatings or ingredients that control how fast the drug is released from the pill into your body. Although they may be convenient, they often are more expensive than the shorter-acting version of the medication and may not have a long-acting generic version. |
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Choose your health plan wisely. If you have a choice of health plans and require medications for a chronic illness, you should look at the drug formulary, or list of covered drugs, in each health plan. Choose a plan that covers your medications at the lowest copay. Some health plans have limits on the quantity of medication you can receive. Additionally, some health plans have the requirement that before you can get your medication, you have to try a less-expensive version to treat your condition. Example: Lipitor, a medication used to treat high cholesterol, is on the formulary of the three largest health plans in New England. The copay for a 30-day supply of Lipitor is $55 in one plan, $50 in the second plan and $25 in the third plan. |
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Ask your doctor to prescribe a cheaper alternative. If there is no generic version of your brandname medication, your doctor may be able to provide you with a less-expensive medication that is different but also treats your condition. Example: Diovan, a medication used to treat high blood pressure, does not have a generic version. It has an average retail price of about $200 for a 90-day supply. If it is safe and appropriate, your doctor may switch you to enalapril, the generic version of Vasotec, which costs $10 for a 90-day supply at Wal-Mart, Target and Costco (US). |
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