How to Save Money on Prescription Drugs

Thanks to skyrocketing prescription drug costs, it's getting tougher to get pricey brand-name drugs covered by insurance plans. Here are some savvy drug-shopping strategies.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Ask your doctor about good--and far cheaper--generic alternatives to name brands.

2. Find out if you qualify for discounts through Medicaid. Call your state's Agency on Aging if you are 55 years or older. Elderly consumers on Medicare may be eligible for the Together RX Card (togetherrx.com), a discount card that will let them save on more than 100 brand-name drugs.

3. Contact individual drug manufacturers for programs for people on limited incomes or who have no insurance. Also check out sources like NeedyMeds (needymeds.com), which has information about patient assistance programs and other programs designed to help those who can't afford their medicines.

4. Shop online, but only at Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS)--approved Internet pharmacies (sanctioned by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy) in the United States. Or try trusted drugstores' Web sites like Eckerd (eckerd.com) and Walgreens (walgreens.com).

5. Shop for bulk discounts with mail-order pharmacies. At Express Scripts Mail Service Pharmacy (express-scripts.com), for example, you may be able to get up to a three-month supply of your medication for the equivalent of a two-month co-pay at a retail pharmacy.

Tips & Warnings

• Price-shop locally; there can be a world of difference in cost for the same prescription drug from one local pharmacy to another.

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[theferf]

on 9/23/2009 Our company, change:healthcare, just launched a new Twitter service that lets you look up prescription costs and medical information via Twitter. You get an instant response when you send your question via direct message in the proper format.

The user account on twitter is @askch and you can find out all of the different uses at http://ask.changehealthcare.com. Uses already defined: find a generic alternative for a name brand, find the cost of a prescription in your neighborhood, get a definition for medical terms, and find generic discounts for a prescription too.

[jasonkleiner]

on 5/21/2009 You can get a free card from this website www.rxcardplus.com that will enable you to save up to 60% on your prescrition medications. It is 100% free and really works.

[chiawana]

on 8/24/2008 Mail order pharmacies like Express Scripts (ESI) and Medco only fill prescriptions for people who ESI or Medco insurance, not for the general public.

People need also to be aware that in order to take advantage of discount or free drug programs through manufacturers (such as the Together card), they must reveal all income and personal information in order to qualify. It's not a simple matter of claiming to need help; they require proof.