Prescription drugs are constantly on the rise, and consumers are regularly finding ways to cut costs and still take their medicine to ensure that they get well and recover from whatever condition they are experiencing. Consumers may feel powerless since they can’t do anything when the prices go up, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Here are a few ways you can still fill in your prescription as reasonably as you possibly can:
- Inquire with your doctor about free samples. Of course, nothing beats getting something free of charge. Pharmaceutical representatives usually go to doctor’s offices to give out samples of existing and/or newer drugs out in the market. It’s a very economical way to get a trial of your medication before you commit and buy a 1 month supply of it. When your doctor is writing out a prescription, ask them if they do have samples you can try out first.
- Ask your clinic or doctor for discount coupons. A lot of drug manufacturers also give doctors discount coupons along with sample medications. Many doctors ignore and sometimes forget about this, but there’s no way you should. There’s nothing wrong with asking if they do have it. It could save you money in purchasing your medicine.
- Always canvass and do comparison shopping. If you really want to save a fraction of your medication bill, it’s best to check prices both offline and online. Before you fill in a prescription at your nearest location, shop around at your other local pharmacies or better yet, check out My Drug Center to order reliable and FDA-approved prescription meds online. Ordering online also gives you the relief of not having to wait in a pharmacy line-up for one prescription or the refills that follow it. Saving time and money with this tip!
- Check out the drug companies directly to avail discounts. A lot of drug companies now have a patient assistance program, however, these are need-based and not always available. You just need to ask or see if the manufacturer’s website offers details about the program. If they don’t, you can always inquire if they have other types of discounts available for the medication you will purchase.
- Avoid co-pays as much as possible. You could actually get a better deal if you pay out of pocket. There is actually a term for overpaying your prescription and it’s called a clawback. It means that a patient’s insurance copay is actually more than the cost of the drug. It works this way: Let’s say that your pharmacist says you owe a $15 co-pay. You assume that the cost of the drug is more than $15 and that your insurance is sharing the cost and picking up the balance for you. When in reality, the pharmacist just collects your $15 and sends it over to your insurance manager. The local pharmacy then gets paid the actual cost of your medicine, which is definitely less than $15. Never assume that your insurance always saves you money. Instead, ask your pharmacist the cash price if you don’t use your benefits from your insurance.
Have you found other ways to save on your prescription meds? Share with us on the comments below!