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Step 1
Ask yourself (and your doctor) if the drug is necessary. While prescription medications can sometimes improve the quality of your life or even be life-saving, there are other times when lifestyle changes or something as simple as giving a condition time to clear on its own might be acceptable too.
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Step 2
Ask for samples. Pharmaceutical companies give samples to doctors for their patients to try and many doctors offer these to their patients as a matter of course. If your doctor doesn’t, ask him or her if any samples are available, particularly if the drug being prescribed is one you’ve never taken before. That could avoid a costly experiment if you end up having a reaction to the medication or if it’s ineffective for you.
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Step 3
Ask for generics. Many drugs come in a less expensive, generic version and doctors are often willing to have a generic substituted for a name brand if available. Ask your doctor about that at the time the prescription is written so that he or she can note that on the form.
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Step 4
Use mail order. Many forms of health insurance offer a mail order pharmacy option, where medications are less expensive. This is ideal for medications taken on a daily basis. It is not uncommon to get a 90 day supply of medication for the cost of a 60 day supply. The prescription will need to be written this way so check into this before your doctor’s visit.
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Step 5
Look for coupons. Pharmacies are always competing and it’s not uncommon to see coupons that offer a free drug store gift card for a new or transferred prescription. I've seen gift card offers in amounts from $10 to $35. Some pharmacies will accept competitor’s coupons as well.
Comments
smdivin said
on 7/10/2008 Nice article! It touches on some good key points. I usually do ask for samples and use generic brands, but haven't tried out any mail order programs. Thanks for the tips!