By taking steps to become an informed customer and strategic shopper, you can cut costs of prescription medication by up to 90%. Below are a few strategies that can help you become a savvy prescription drug consumer.
- Price comparisons: Drug prices are not uniform; you can save a considerable amount of money by shopping around.
- Drug substitution: When your doctor prescribes a drug, ask if a cheaper alternative is available.
- Mail-order Pharmacies: Mail-order and Internet pharmacies offer the best deals on prescription drugs, especially for patients with chronic conditions.
- Over-the-counter drugs (OTC): Ask your doctor if an OTC drug will work just as well as a prescription drug. Today there are hundreds of OTC drugs that were previously only available by prescription.
- Discount prescription cards: Look into a discount card, either through a drugstore chain or a national plan. They can provide additional discounts on your prescriptions for a small monthly or annual fee.
Some other helpful tips to consider when taking steps to be more medically cost-efficient include:
Talk to your doctor:
- If something confuses you, ask questions.
- When your doctor prescribes a medication, ask if this is the most cost-effective option.
- If your doctor recommends a procedure or test, ask if it is truly necessary or what other option may be.