How to Save Big on Medications
The cost of medications can be overwhelming, especially when you have to endure high out-of-pocket expenses. When you don’t have sufficient health insurance to cover your medications, then you’re going to need to become a savvy shopper. Below, you will find a couple of tips that can help you save big on prescription medications.
Ask for Generic Prescription Drugs
You don’t have to use name brand prescriptions in order to get the same benefits for your health. Instead, you can opt for generic brands that have a similar chemical makeup. You’ll find that about 80 percent of name brand drugs that have been approved by the FDA have generic alternatives that you can use and they typically cost ¼ of the price of name brands. The next time you go to your doctor, ask him or her if there are generic options that you can use that are more affordable.
Split Your Higher-Dose Pills
The price of an 80 mg pill is usually the same cost of a 40 mg pill. With this fact, you can purchase higher-dose pills and just split them to fit your dose (or just take one instead of two if the dose is double). Before doing this, ask your doctor if it’s alright to do pill splitting for the medication that you’re taking. If so, you can ask the doctor to prescribe twice the dosage, so that you can cut your spending in half.
Let Your Doctor Know About Your Financial Situation
Communication is important in the medical industry, especially when it comes to your prescriptions. If you are having a hard time affording your medications, let your doctor know, so that he or she can provide you with alternatives. This may be in the form of financial assistance or providing cheaper drug options. He or she may also be able to cut back on the amount of medications you are taking. If you have been taking one drug for a while, you may be able to wean off of it or downgrade to another more affordable medication.
Look Into Patient Assistance Programs
There are programs available at some pharmaceutical companies that offer discounted drugs to people who are in need. You can find this out by going to the company’s Web site to see if assistance programs are available. You can also go to needymeds.org to find patient assistance programs near you.
Saving money on your medication is important, not only for your budget but for your health. Do whatever you can to ensure that you get the medicine you need to maintain your health. Here is an additional article we found on the FastCash.org blog that discuss this topi
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