10 Ways to Save on Your Prescription Medication Costs

1. 10 Ways to Save on Your Prescription Medication Costs Studies show that 20% to 30% of prescriptions are never filled by the Americans due to their high costs, posing potentially serious health consequences. So, here we have come up with 10 ways that will help you fill the script and improve your treatment adherence. 1.Request generics Physicians usually do not consider your bottom line while signing their prescription pads, so stress to your doctor that medication cost is important to you. Whenever possible, request for generics that cost much less than their brand-name counterparts. For example, cholesterol- lowering medication Lipitor may cost you around $400 for 30-day supply while its generic version atorvastatin will cost your around $10 for the same supply. Generics may have different fillers but the FDA requires them to have the same active ingredients and pass the standards of quality, strength and dosage as branded medications. If a generic equivalent is not available, talk to your doctor about using a different, low-cost medication altogether. 2.Ask for alternative, low-cost medications Physicians don’t always know how much the medications they are prescribing will cost you. In many cases, different medications can effectively treat the same condition. Inquire with your pharmacy if there is a cheaper alternative available, and then get your doctor’s approval for it to save on meds. 3.Order a 90-day supply To get your generics at a lower cost, you can request your doctor for a 90-day prescription for the medications you take routinely, such as blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and depression medications, instead of 30 days. So, if you want to treat your high cholesterol condition with a $10 generic instead of $400 branded medication, voice your concern to your caregiver. However, if it’s a new medication, start with a regular 30-day supply to ensure that you can tolerate the medication, and then move to a 90-day supply. 4.Check drug prices

2. Medication prices can vary widely among pharmacies based on the locations and volume of fills. SaveOnMeds website www.savingsonmeds.com can help you compare and check drug prices for the lowest cost. If you take multiple prescriptions, it would be wise to keep all prescriptions at one pharmacy whenever possible, as your pharmacist can also help you with drug interactions, side effects and allergies that you may experience. 5.Compare and shop around Compare medication prices at local pharmacies, big-box retailers, supermarkets and online vendors. The prices may vary from chain-to-chain and even store-to-store within the same chain. If you are a cash-paying customer, you can save on prescriptions by switching where you fill your prescription. But you stand to lose the benefit of having a single dispenser tracking potentially risky drug interactions, particularly if they are prescribed by one than one doctor. While checking drug prices online, avoid using mail-order pharmacies in other countries because you may not know what exactly you are getting. 6.Prescription discount programs Take advantage of the prescription discount programs offered by the pharmacies and manufacturers to keep even more cash in your pocket. Walgreens offers discounts off the cash price on many branded and generic medications, while you can have many generics for $4 for a 30-day supply or $10 for a 90-day supply at the Walmart. Also explore Medicare Extra Help Program, State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program, Pharmaceutical Assistance Program, and Partnership for Prescription Assistance programs to see if you qualify for any of them to help you save on medications. 7.Make your insurance work better Every insurance provider has a formulary or list of covered medications. It could be really daunting to pore over it to see if your medication is covered. Better still; call your insurer to know if your medication is covered, or if there is an alternative that is covered. 8.Split pills Sometimes, it’s cheaper to divide a 20 mg tablet into two 10 mg doses, because medicines often do not double up in prices for double doses. Scored pills with a visible groove in the middle are easy to break with the help of a pill-splitter. But don’t split the pill until you are able to immediately pop it up because it may degrade if left exposed to the open environment for long. When in doubt, ask your pharmacist about it.

3. 9.Use a flexible spending account (FSA) If your employer offers a flexible spending account, you can put your money into it to pay for your medication with pre-tax dollars. FSA is a good option for the people with some chronic health conditions, who know how much they will spend each year to get prescription medication savings. For example, if you are in the 25% tax bracket, you will get 25% discounts on your medications for the year your FSA is active. 10, Download SaveOnMeds drug discount card The most convenient and easy way to make savings on prescription medications is to download SaveOnMeds drug discount cardthat can be used at 65,000 pharmacies all over the USA, including the big chains such as Walgreens, CVS, Winn Dixie, Walmart, Target and Publix. SaveOnMeds drug card allows you to save up to 85% on the retail price of branded and generic medications. Just present it to the pharmacist while filling your prescription to save on flu vaccines, save on Viagra, save on Benzonatate, save on Albuterol inhaler to make medication savings on each fill. It can also be used to save on medication costs with insurance as you may find many medications at lower prices with SaveOnMeds prescription savings card than what you will with your copay insurance or deductibles. Anyone can download SaveOnMeds drug card Anyone can download SaveOnMeds drug discount card from www.savingsonmeds.com regardless of their age, income or coverage. Or you can also get your digital drug discount card by texting the keyword phrase “Saveonmeds” to the phone number 21000. Help everyone , even pets Besides prescription medications, SaveOnMeds drug card also offers discounts on over the counter (OTC) and pet medications, and also on other medical services such as vision, hearing and Lasik services. There is no enrollment form, membership fee, or limits on prescription fill by the cardholders. It helps uninsured and insured individuals get prescription medicationssavings of up to 85% on brand-name and generic prescription medications. You can help your family members, friends, colleagues and relatives also to save on meds by sharing your card with them. It is provided activated, so you can immediately start using it as soon as you download your Free SaveOnMeds drug card.