5 Ways to Save Money on Prescription Drugs

A lot of people need prescription meds almost every day, and a good portion of them are even life-saving enough that the patient can’t afford to miss out on taking one. But do you know what’s worse? When it’s not just you can’t afford to miss it, but also not afford it because of the outrageous price. Prices are only going up, including prescription medications.

Luckily for you, there are several ways that you can opt for if you want to save money on your prescription meds. Here are some of them.

Buy in Bulk

You might be surprised to hear that buying in bulk, especially for 90 days, is much cheaper than buying them every week or month. It might be too good to be accurate, but it’s factual. You can usually buy in bulk in stores like CVS or Walmart. Not only that, but these stores also have savings programs that will let you save even more money if you subscribe to their programs.

You can even Get your free BuzzRx prescription discount card and use it to save more money. But of course, you’re usually only allowed to buy in bulk if you were prescribed by your doctor, so before doing so, discuss it with your doctor first.

Switch to Generics

If you don’t know what a generic is, they are copies of brand-name drugs. They still have the same medication formula but just under a different name. However, even though they are just imitations, the best thing about them is that they are much cheaper than the brand-name ones.

If you’re worried about the generic not being the brand name, don’t worry because generics are approved to be safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

But you might wonder why the brand name is much more expensive anyway. The company that created the drug funded the research and marketing costs. Usually, the company would sell the drug for a little while before publishing a patent.

When the patent gets released, other companies can copy the formula and sell it at a much lower price. But of course, since they are borrowing the patent, they would have to pay the leading company first. So, if the doctor prescribes you a drug, ask them if it is generic, and they are most likely more than happy to tell you.

Splitting Pills

Have you ever looked at a pill and wondered why there is a line in the middle? If you do, then it would please you to know that it’s where you’re meant to cut when you want to split the pill.

It’s a good tactic if you want to save money on your prescription pills, especially if your doctor told you to reduce your dosage. However, not all medicines are optimal for splitting. Thankfully, there is a list that the FDA has published that contains all of the drugs that you can safely split. But of course, talk to your healthcare provider first about your dosage.

Go Directly to the Drug Manufacturer

If your prescription doesn’t have a generic and the cost is too much for you, one option that you could also do is to go directly to the drug manufacturer. You can often find huge discounts from manufacturers who are happy to offer you one. However, you have to meet the criteria first before you’re allowed to take advantage of these discounts.

Also, if you cannot physically go to their actual location, you can go online and do a web search, input the drug name, and input the savings programs. Usually, the search engine will lead you to an online portal that allows you to look into the savings programs that the manufacturers offer their customers.

But again, you will still have to meet the criteria. Most of the time, the criteria are more of a geographical one or under a specific health insurance.

Know Your Insurance Formulary

With so many prescription drugs on the market, it can be hard for you and even your doctor to determine which drugs or expenses are covered by your insurance plan. However, if you’re looking for a specific brand-name drug, you can check your health insurance’s formulary to see if the drug you’re looking for is covered.

Usually, you can see this list on the provider’s website, but if you have an app, you can install it on your phone and look into it yourself while still at your doctor’s office. If your insurance doesn’t cover the medication, you can work with your doctor to see if your plan covers an alternative.

Final Words

Prescription drug prices will only ever go up, so if you want to save money on them, you have to be smart and decisive. With so many options under your arsenal and, of course, with the help of your healthcare provider, you can save so much money on your medicine. You know what they say: health is wealth.