Like most people, you probably don’t think much about the cost of your prescription medication until you have to pay for it. But the truth is that prescription drugs can be costly, and even if you have insurance, you may still end up paying a lot out of pocket. In fact, the cost of some medications can be so high that it puts a strain on household budgets. Here are some tips to help you save money on your prescription medication.
Look for Generics
Let’s start with the elephant in the room. Looking for generics is one of the surefire ways of saving money on your prescribed medicine. Generics can be just as effective as the brand name, if not more. But, unfortunately, most of the time, the only difference between the generics and the brand name is the price, and oh boy, you’ll probably be in for a shock.
The price for generics can be as low as 80% on some brands if you look hard enough. Not only that, most medicine nowadays already has generics, so you don’t have to worry about finding them. Now, why do the prices have a big gap? It’s because manufacturers don’t need to set up a separate laboratory for research and development. Furthermore, there is fierce competition among generic drug manufacturers, which drives down prices.
Request for Bulk Orders
Going out to the pharmacy is a chore, that’s for sure. This is especially true if you drive for miles to get to the nearest drugstore. Not only that but buying regularly can bore a huge hole in your wallet, so it’s not recommended.
If you need to take medicine regularly, buying your medicine in bulk is one way to save a lot of money. If your doctor is fine with it, you can ask them for a 90-day prescription. They can even recommend pharmacies and even offer you discounts and promotions.
The best part about it is some pharmacies offer mail orders, which means you don’t have to drive far to get meds. They also do regular deliveries, so you don’t have to go to the pharmacy when your meds run out.
Go Directly to the Source
If your medicine is a brand name without any generics or if you prefer the name brand more, then you can go to the manufacturers and see if they can offer you discounts or other promotions. If you’re having a hard time contacting them, you can ask for help from your pharmacist, and they can help you get over to them.
You can also do a web search for them! Just put the name of the medicine and type savings program. This will generally point you to sites where you can find the manufacturer’s name and see if they are running any promotions. However, if you find a promotion, they have specific criteria before you can enjoy their offers, so just a heads up.
Grab a Free Prescription Savings Card
This one is more of an alternative if you have health insurance. This can be used if you want to opt-out of the copay of your insurance plan. Also, some savings cards have other promotions like free delivery, and regular delivery service, among other things. However, as mentioned just now, you can opt for the savings card if your insurance plan doesn’t include your medication or if the price on the card is much lower than what the insurance offers.
Use Discount Coupons
If you don’t know yet, there are thousands of discount and coupon sites that offer their own Prescription discount service. Don’t worry, as most of them are legit. In addition, hundreds of sites offer these services like coupons, promotions, etc., so you don’t have to scour the internet looking for a site that offers one.
Also, you don’t have to worry about pharmacies not taking them, as more and more pharmacies are accepting these coupons for their patients. However, if you’re looking for coupons for controlled substances like opioids, they can be hard to find, not to mention that most pharmacies don’t take them yet, and pharmacies also feature the pharmacy management system.
You can even talk to your doctor or pharmacist about where to find these coupons. Most of the time, they can help you find sites and other promotions on the internet that can help you save on your medicine. For the most part, they are happy to give you this knowledge. You only have to ask.
Final Words
Prescription medicine has been getting more and more expensive these past few years. Luckily, the avenues where we can save on them are getting plenty lately. There are many ways to save on medicine nowadays, from mobile apps to websites. Of course, you have to be patient and determined enough.
