Americans most likely know that prescription drugs in the United States can be very expensive. In fact, it was found out that prescription drugs in the country are more than twice as high compared to other countries. Fortunately, there are tips and tricks you can do to lower your prescription costs.
Tips and Tricks to Save Money on Your Prescriptions
The following are some of the ways you can do to reduce the cost of your prescriptions:
Consider Generic Drugs
It is vital to know that not all drugs have a generic equivalent. However, those with generics tend to be cheaper than the brand-name ones. In fact, it can cost about 30 to 80 percent less.
Generics and brand-name drugs contain the same active ingredients. This means they have the same therapeutic effects. Moreover, they differ in other characteristics that don’t affect its safety or effectiveness, like flavoring.
It would be best for you not to wait to get to the pharmacy before asking for a generic. Let your healthcare provider know that you opt to go for generics before writing the prescription. Furthermore, several drugs are now available over-the-counter (OTC) or generically. Below are some of the most popular OTC or low-cost generic drug classes you can now look for in pharmacies:
- Heartburn medications
- Cholesterol-lowering statins
- Some type 2 diabetes drugs such as metformin
- Non-sedating antihistamines
Shop Around
It will help if you compare pharmacy prices. Prices from one pharmacy to another might vary depending on the volume of prescriptions you are planning to buy as well as the location the pharmacy is situated in. Moreover, you can opt to check for the lowest prices there are for your medication, but also, you can talk to your pharmacist to see if there is any way for you to get an even lower cost.
It would be best to keep all of your prescriptions in one pharmacy because it can help you maintain consistency with your prescription drugs. Also, your pharmacists can check for side effects, drug interactions, and allergies.
Ask for Free Medication Samples
Often, doctors tend to receive full-size samples they can pass along to their patients, especially for maintenance medications like blood pressure medications or asthma inhalers. It will help if you consider asking your doctor to know if he/she has any free samples of your medication. That way, you can save a lot of money on your prescription drugs.
Consider Discount Coupons
It will help if you seek out online coupon codes and discount cards. However, you should make sure these coupons are from reliable sites. For example, you can try out BuzzRX Prescription Discount Coupons to get the best deals on your prescription drugs.
These are some of the things you need to do in order to get discounts by using coupons and discount cards:
- Bring the discount code or card to the pharmacy, and they will then most likely enter the code for you to get a discount on a certain medication.
- Most pharmacies are okay with accepting these kinds of discount cards. However, not all of them are comfortable with it. That is why you might want to confirm first before you drive over.
- It is essential to note that some pharmacies might not honor or accept coupon codes or discount cards for controlled substances such as anxiety medications or opioid pain.
Search for a Community Charity Pharmacy
A community charity pharmacy (CCP) is a drug pharmacy that is licensed to release prescription drugs to uninsured, low-income, or underinsured people. CCPs mostly do it for free or at a low cost. Moreover, they can do this because CCPs usually receive many drug donations from drug manufacturers and nonprofit organizations.
If you want to know if there are any CCPs in your area, check out the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics website. You can enter your location on the website and then look for the CCP near you.
Consider Applying for a Patient Assistance Program
Pharmaceutical companies most likely run patient assistance programs (PAP). They tend to offer their products for free or at a low cost for those who can’t afford them. However, you will need to apply first and see if you can fit into their qualifications to avail of their services.
Most PAP has their way of evaluating whether you are eligible. However, most of the time, you might need to show proof that you are a legal resident or a US citizen and have a low monthly income. Besides that, you will also need to present that you don’t have any insurance coverage.
To Sum It Up
Costly prescription drugs can be a pain in your finances. Some even skip a dose because they can’t afford their medication. However, this shouldn’t be the case. That is why it will help if you do ways to lessen your medications’ prices. Doing so will not only save you some money, but it can also help you take the right amount of medication your doctor prescribed without risking your health.
