Dr. Edward Jardini, a family physician focuses on one aspect of healthcare costs, specifically prescription drugs. His 20 cost-saving methods break down into the following groups.
(1) eliminate nonessential prescriptions – stop medications no longer needed because the problem resolved, medications no longer worked, medications never worked, medications were never needed.
(2) think beyond the prescription bottle – treat whatever ails you with lifestyle changes (lose weight, exercise, eat healthier, quit smoking), nondrug treatments, prevent disease naturally.
(3) avoid overpriced me-too drugs – don’t asked for advertised drugs, don’t take free drug samples (it’s how drug companies get you hooked on their most expensive drugs), insist on generic drugs, insist on cheaper drugs in the same medication class, for a particular medical problem (i.e. allergies), get the medication class that is cheapest (antihistamines like benadryl are cheaper than nasal prescription steroids).
(4) be smart – split tablets, be prescribed the right dosage or amount (some medications cost the same for the 20 mg and 40 mg so if you take two 20 mg pills per day, it would be cheaper to tae a 40 mg pill), ask to see if another dosage exists, don’t treat one medication’s side effects with another, shop around, get it for free (take free samples that you absolutely need and enough for the short period of time you need it or if you’ll get insurance to cover the cost), and finally,
(5) use pill programs – programs from drug companies that give discounts (PPA Rx 1-888-4PPA-NOW or www.pparx.org), through the federal government like the VA, TRICARE, or state through Medicaid / Medi-Cal, and possibly Medicare Part D).
Overall the advice is good and we should always ask the doctor for generic medications that are effective for the problem at hand and not get fooled by slick advertising. An excellent free website listing drugs that are the best value for the conditions they treat is by Consumer Reports and found at www.crbestbuydrugs.org. I was surprised he didn’t include this important unbiased source. He also didn’t talk about how Wal-mart and other retailers offer $4 prescription medication and for 90 days, it would cost $10. Another cost saver.
At times, the advice given was misleading or overly optimistic. On page 3, he notes that the generic cholesterol medication lovastatin 10 mg tablet is 58% cheaper than the brand name Lipitor 10 mg pill which is true. What he failed to mention is that the generic drug is only ¼ as potent which means you’d need four times as many pills to get the same cholesterol lowering effect! For the area on think beyond the prescription bottle, yes lifestyle changes would be great, but for the vast majority of people they’ve tried dieting, exercising, and they ultimately need medications to address their medical condition. Telling us what we should do but despite our best intentions are unable to do so really isn’t a cost-saving method per se. Dr. Jardini focuses on one aspect of healthcare costs, specifically prescription drugs. His 20 cost-saving methods break down into the following groups.
(1) eliminate nonessential prescriptions - stop medications no longer needed because the problem resolved, medications no longer worked, medications never worked, medications were never needed.
(2) think beyond the prescription bottle - treat whatever ails you with lifestyle changes (lose weight, exercise, eat healthier, quit smoking), nondrug treatments, prevent disease naturally.
(3) avoid overpriced me-too drugs - don't asked for advertised drugs, don't take free drug samples (it's how drug companies get you hooked on their most expensive drugs), insist on generic drugs, insist on cheaper drugs in the same medication class, for a particular medical problem (i.e. allergies) get the medication class that is cheapest (antihistamines like benadryl are cheaper than nasal prescription steroids).
(4) be smart - split tablets, be prescribed the right dosage or amount (some medications cost the same for the 20 mg and 40 mg so if you take two 20 mg pills per day, it would be cheaper to take a 40 mg pill), ask to see if another dosage exists, don't treat one medication's side effects with another, shop around, get it for free (take free samples that you absolutely need and enough for the short period of time you need it or if you'll get insurance to cover the cost), and finally,
(5) use pill programs - programs from drug companies that give discounts (PPA Rx 1-888-4PPA-NOW or www.pparx.org), through the federal government like the VA, TRICARE, or state through Medicaid / Medi-Cal, and possibly Medicare Part D.
Overall the advice is good and we should always ask the doctor for generic medications that are effective for the problem at hand and not get fooled by slick advertising. An excellent free website listing drugs that are the best value for the conditions they treat is by Consumer Reports and found at www.crbestbuydrugs.org. I was surprised he didn't include this important unbiased source. He also didn't talk about how Wal-mart and other retailers offer $4 prescription medication and for 90 days, it would cost $10. Another cost saver.
At times, the advice given was misleading or overly optimistic. On page 3, he notes that the generic cholesterol medication lovastatin 10 mg tablet is 58% cheaper than the brand name Lipitor 10 mg pill which is true. What he failed to mention is that the generic drug is only ¼ as potent which means you'd need four times as many pills to get the same cholesterol lowering effect! For the area on think beyond the prescription bottle, yes lifestyle changes would be great, but for the vast majority of people they've tried dieting, exercising, and they ultimately need medications to address their medical condition. Telling us what we should do but despite our best intentions are unable to do so really isn't a cost-saving method per se. Also asking doctors about whether the evidence from various research studies on heart disease or osteoporosis means that medications can be stopped may be out of the reach of most patients. Often seeing a doctor is intimidating. Asking a doctor about not only the latest research but also then asking to stop the medication because of it may seem too high of a hurdle for some to do.
Nevertheless, he advocates that readers communicate with their doctors about prescription drugs and not to stop without checking in with their doctor. An excellent companion book which covers how to talk to doctors, offers the truth about herbals, dietary supplements, body scans, and also has a section on prescription drugs that would complement this book well is Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely – Making Intelligent Choices in America’s Healthcare System.
