Top 17 Ways to Cut Your Prescription Drug Costs

Top 17 Ways to Cut Your Prescription Drug Costs
By Gary Nave

1. You May Qualify for a Free Drug program.

· There are over 1,100 drugs that are made by 100 manufacturers who have free drug programs. Most major drug companies provide free medications, but rarely, if ever publicize their programs. An estimated two billion dollars of free medication is given away annually.

· Larry’s father has prostate cancer and takes Casodex every day, which costs $300 a month in the US, and $180 from Mexico. He sent his father’s information to see if he qualified. He recently found out his father did qualify to receive the drug free. Larry just happened to see a small article buried inside the newspaper. He never knew these programs existed.

· A complete list of drugs and manufacturers’ programs is available. For more information visit: http://www.institutedc.org

2. Get a Pharmacy Discount Card for Free.

· AdvanceRx offers a free discount card to anyone that saves 13%-25% and covers all drugs dispensed at a pharmacy. For details, call 1-800-ADVANCE (238-2623) or www.advancerx.com.

· There are five free discount cards for Senior citizens. The discount cards cover over 200 popular medications.

3. Save Up to 93% by Asking for a Generic

· Use generics whenever they are available. Both brand name and generic drugs contain the same active ingredients, are the same in strength and dosage, meet the same government quality control standards.

· According to Mark Erblat, Pharmacy Director and owner of Rx For You, cost savings on brand name vs. generic will vary from drug to drug and pharmacy to pharmacy but can be significant. For instance:

· Prozac brand 20mg, 100 tablets cost $280.19 and generic sells for $29.99 (Savings 89%)

· Vasotec brand 5mg, 100 tablets costs $103.59 and generic sells for $18.19 (Savings 82%)

· Zantac brand 150mg 100 tablets costs $173.39 and generic sells for $10.99 (Savings 93%)

· Zestril brand 10mg 100 tablets costs $96.29 and generic sells for $39.99 (Savings 58%)

4. Veterans Now Qualify for More Benefits.

· Recent laws have changed that grant veterans medical benefits for certain illnesses like diabetes and hypertension, provided the veteran is subject to qualifying conditions like agent orange exposure.

· See if you qualify for benefits by checking with the Veteran’s Administration.

5. Cut Your Costs in Half… by Using a Pill Splitter.

· Most pharmacies should stock pill splitters. Sometimes, medications can be broken in half and save you 50%. The reason is because several pharmaceutical manufacturers price some of their medications the same for all strengths.

· Lipitor is essentially the same price for all strengths. It is possible to save as much as $100 on a one month supply of Lipitor just by getting the larger strength and cutting in half. Ask your pharmacist.

· This method may not be appropriate for all medications and could be dangerous if used with the wrong medication.

· Begin by asking your doctor or pharmacist if your medication is available in a dose double your normal dosage (ex, if you usually take a 20 mg. pill, is a 40 mg. pill available?). If it is, ask whether there would be any problems with splitting the tablets or capsules.

· Now, do a cost comparison between the two dosages. If the higher dose is less than double the cost for your regular dose then you will be saving money by having your doctor prescribe the higher dose and then splitting it. Cost savings is typically 32% to 50%.

. Viagra is another medication that lends itself to being split in half or quarters to save 50% to 75% depending upon the dosage required. The average Viagra user who uses two doses per week can save over $400.00 per year.

· This method is not appropriate for all medications. Check with your pharmacist. Some easily split medications include: Ambien, Aricept, Buspar, Effexor, Lipitor, Luvox, Paxil, Remeron, Risperidal, Seroquel, Serzone, Viagra, Zoloft, Zyprexa. (Ask your pharmacist about others)

6. Save by Buying a 90 vs. 30-Day Supply.

· Most pharmacies have higher savings on a longer days supply. In addition, when it comes to people who have insurance prescription coverage, there may be other savings by getting a larger day supply.

· For instance, if you have a $10 co-pay, the insurance company will let you get only a 30 days supply in general for that $10. A 90-day supply bought with out insurance may only cost you $18.

· This would be much cheaper than paying $10 per month ($30 for 90 days). It would also save you two trips to the pharmacy.

7. Ask for an Older Medication That is as Effective.

· Many pharmacists agree, that antibiotics are probably the most over prescribed, or incorrectly prescribed medications. Often, the physician will prescribe a newer antibiotic that has been promoted as more effective. What this really means is that it is considerably more expensive.

· The newer antibiotics are often no more effective than the older antibiotics. However, they are new and covered by patent protection. Therefore, the newer medication is more effective in ensuring a nice profit for the drug manufacturer for many years.

· Since many generics are made in the same factory as the brand name ones, make sure you ask your doctor for a generic antibiotic. A great generic broad- spectrum antibiotic costs 80% less than a new antibiotic. In dollars, it costs you $20 instead of $100.

8. Over-the-Counter Drugs May be as Effective as the Prescription Drug.

· Many doctors still prescribe Pepcid 20mg to their patients. A one-month supply of Pepcid 20mg cost approximately $60. Pepcid AC, over-the-counter in 10mg strength, taking double the dose costs approximately $23.

· Most prescription cold medications average $20 to $60 for a one month supply and contain the same decongestant that is available over-the-counter for less than $2.

9. Get Only a 7-day Supply of New Medication.

· If the doctor does not have samples, ask your pharmacist to give you only a one-week supply to try. It is a federal law that medicines can’t be returned once they are dispensed. If you get a month's supply and can’t tolerate the medicine, you have just lost that money.

10. Stop Using Drugs You No Longer Need.

· Review all your prescriptions with your doctor at each visit. You may be paying for some drugs you no longer need.

· Doctor run www.rxaminer.com provides a custom analysis of your medications to save you money. You can get a free, no obligation, Cost Screening to find out how much you can save.