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.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

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.

What to Look For:

• Generic drugs
• Discount programs
• Discount prices
• Online pharmacies and drugstores
• Mail-order pharmacies

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.