The financial and economic crisis has caused millions to lose value in their stock portfolios, to witness the worth of their homes fall, and many to lose their jobs. Many are worried about how to pay for their prescription drugs. Some are not refilling prescriptions or cutting back which will endanger their health.
The good news is if you understand from an insider how to get prescription drugs cheaper (without necessarily purchasing online) or at least ensure that for the money you do spend that you are getting the best value then you should feel confident that you are spending your money and protecting your health wisely.
First tip, if you do need prescription medications, go to Walmart, Target, or other pharmacies which offer $4 for generic medications and $10 for a 90 day supply of generic medications. This is often cheaper than the copay offered by insurance companies. Insist your doctor write you a generic medication when available. Generic medications are simply branded medications that no longer have patent protection. Due to FDA regulations the generic medications are as good as their branded counterparts. Note that the best-selling drugs like Claritin for allergies, Prilosec for heartburn ("the purple pill"), Zocor for cholesterol, over the past few years have gone generic and do the job. Smart shoppers realize that generic medications are cheaper because you aren't paying for the brand name or the multimillion marketing campaign. Get the Walmart list of $4 medications here and take it to your next doctor's appointment and ask him to change what you are taking to medications on this list.
Second tip, find the best medications for their category (allergies, heartburn, blood pressure, cholesterol) via a free Consumer Reports website at Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs. See which medications make the list on both the Walmart list and the Consumer Reports list. Then you know you've gotten the most for your money. Save money and stay healthy.
For more tips on saving on prescription drugs, check out a recent segment on the Today show.
1 comment:
The pharmacist said my Amlodipine would cost $160 and then I remembered to give him the prescription discount card that I bought from www.rxdrugcard.com. Then the cost was only $10.50.
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