Prescription drug prices, along with health insurance, have been the bane of society for years. With rising costs of prescriptions, it is no wonder that some individuals are cutting their pills in half thus endangering their own heath. This is unacceptable in our society - yet it continues.
Whether you have health insurance or not, here are five ways you can save on prescription drugs:
1. Ask your doctor to prescribe generic drugs, as they are the least expensive. As stated on MSN Money, “the National Association of Chain Drug Stores estimates that while the average prescription for a generic drug costs about $29.00, the equivalent brand-named drug may cost as much as $101.00.”
In addition, for those of you who have a health plan such as GHI, it should be noted that every year the insurance companies change the rules as far as what drugs are covered under the plan. For example, last year Crestor (a cholesterol drug) was no longer covered under GHI but instead, Zocor was the preferred drug. To preface this point, a one-month supply of Crestor cost over $220.00 compared to Zocor’s generic counterpart Simvastatin which cost only $9.00.
You may say that’s a good thing since the difference in price is substantial. However, Crestor was more effective in lowering cholesterol levels than Zocor, yet the only way one could obtain this drug was by obtaining samples through one’s physician. Unfortunately, a month’s supply was never available for patients. In fact, seniors on Lipitor were also denied this drug by their HMO in favor of Simvastatin.
2. With healthcare costs rising, some people are seeking alternative ways to deal with minor illnesses. Thus, over-the-counter drugs or other holistic remedies are being utilized instead of prescription drugs.
3. If your doctor feels you need a certain prescription for the short term, ask for samples of the drug. This is especially true is the drug does not have a generic counterpart. You may have seen salesmen and saleswomen visiting your doctor at some point during your appointment day; they always bring samples which the doctor keeps in a closet in his office.
4. You may have seen TV ads in which certain drug store chains are offering generic prescriptions for $4.00. As listed on MSN Money, here are the chains you may wish to check out: Kmart, Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, and Target. Each of these chains offers generic drugs for $4.00.
5. While you can save money by ordering prescriptions online, this is only recommended if you are ordering from Canada. You may have read or seen online drug prices from both Canada and Mexico. Although prescription generic drugs may be cheaper in these places, ordering from druggists in Mexico is a dangerous alternative. There is no way to determine if the drugs are safe, nor can you ascertain whether they are generic or placebos. This can be a costly error and one that can be life-threatening.
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