11 Ways To Save Money On Prescription Drugs

The high cost of prescription drugs makes it tempting to purchase medicine from unsafe sources. Luckily, you can save on prescription medicine while sourcing it from reputable and legal means. Here are 12 ways to save money on prescription drugs.

1) The Brown Bag Review

Sometimes we take medicine that we don't really need. There are prescriptions that continue to be filled even if the need for them is no longer there. One of the easiest way to save on prescription drugs is to ask your doctor or pharmacist to conduct a Brown Bag Review.

You simply put all the medicines that you are currently taking inside a brown bag and ask the help of a doctor or a pharmacist to review them. Your doctor or pharmacist should be able to tell you if there are less expensive alternatives to what you are currently taking or point out which ones you can do without.

2) Shop Around

You'll be surprised how much a particular medicine's price can vary from one pharmacy to another even in your locality. The few minutes you spend calling to inquire about the medicine prices can result in significant savings.

3) Don't Buy In Bulk

If it's your first time to try the prescription medicine, try it out first to see if it suits you before you buy a entire month's supply. Always ask the doctor for a short-term prescription if it's your first time to try the drug. This way, you'll avoid being wasteful if the drug doesn't work for you.

Maybe you can even get free samples before you start purchasing the prescription medicine. Just avoid the free samples that lead to expensive refills.

4) Buy Generic or Cheaper Brand

This is probably the most known way to save money but also the most often neglected. Powerful marketing of brand names often lead people to believe that branded drugs are superior to the generic counterparts. Use generic whenever it's available for the medicine that you need.

5) Splitting Pills

This is one of the easiest ways to save money on prescription drugs. You buy a pill that's double the dosage of your requirement and just split the pills. The higher dosage pills are usually priced the same as the low dosage versions. Sometimes they're priced just a little higher.

However, remember that not all pills can be split. The best way to know if you can split a pill is if you you see a score in the center of the pill. If you don't see a score, chances are the pill will crumble when you try to split it and you won't be able to get the exact dosage that you need.

Some pills are also coated and time-release tablets shouldn't be split. You shouldn't even think of dividing the contents of capsules into two.

6) Take Advantage of Patient Assistance Programs

This program is for those who really can't afford prescription medicines. Some companies will provide free or cheap prescription medicine to the needy. These are often limited and reserved for the needy. That being said, you should think of patient assistance programs as a last resort.

7) Use Compounders

Compounding is the practive of pharmacists and health care professionals of preparing specialized drug products to fill prescriptions when approved drugs are not available. However, this is highly controversial as some companies tend to abuse this. This was meant for doctors and pharmacists to mix small quantities of specialized medicine. Some small companies mix batches of drugs.

8)Join Drug Discount Clubs

You can save on prescription drugs by joining discount clubs or cooperative. Do your due diligence before joining a discount club. Make sure that the cooperative or club that you join offers your prescription.

9) Shop Online

Shopping online is convenient. You can easily compare prices from one store to another. The challenge is in finding legimate sources online. They can all look the same online. Again, due diligence is required. Check if the online store you're buying from is liscensed first.

10) Order Overseas

It is illegal to order prescription medicine from other countries. However, billions of dollars worth of medicine is being imported every year and no one seems notice. This doesn't mean that it's not risky to order overseas.

11) Use Discount Cards

Discount cards can save you a few dollars on prescription medicine. Discount cards charge monthly fees and the consumer gets discounts in participating pharmacies and health care providers. The caveat is that discount cards are not accepted everywhere and does not replace insurance.

DISCLAIMER: It is always best to consult your doctor when considering any of the advice given in this hub. This information is no substitute for professional help.