Do you know how much you are spending on your prescription medications? Do you know the various ways to pay less for them? Are you aware of all of your options when it comes to picking a pharmacy or buying a drug plan? If not, read on. There are plenty of ways to save money on prescription drugs, and we’re going to walk through them all. Each person’s situation is different, but there’s something here for everyone. Regardless of where you live, your income level, how many people in your family take prescription drugs, and more — there are tips and tricks that will help anyone get cheaper medication. From using GoodRx coupons to switching from brand name drugs to generic versions with a coupon at Kroger — this article covers it all so keep reading!
1. Print, digital, and local drugstores
You don’t have to go to a brick-and-mortar pharmacy to get your medications. If you’re paying more than $100 per month, it might make sense to get your prescriptions from a mail-order pharmacy and avoid paying for gas or transportation just to pick up medication. If you take a lot of medications, it can be helpful to have them all in one place. This can reduce the chance of missing a dose. Additionally, each online pharmacy offers a wide range of drugs that are not available at local pharmacies. Printed drugs, on the other hand, are great if you need a refill on a particular type of medication. You can order prescription drugs from the comfort of your own home.
2. Generic drugs are usually your cheapest option
Most of the time, generic drugs are less expensive than brand-name drugs, but have the same active ingredients. If you need to purchase drugs, you might want to consider the generic versions instead. In fact, if you take 10 different medications, you could save thousands a year just by switching over. How much you’ll save will depend on the drugs you have to purchase, but you can expect to cut your costs by around 50% on average.
3. Existing prescription medication assistance programmes
Obviously, if you have insurance and you pay for medication, then you won’t have to worry about this. But if you don’t, and you need to purchase drugs, you should check if there is a program in place that provides assistance for your situation. Many of these programmes are not advertised because they are for low-income and impoverished families. In other words, you might need to seek this out. Talk to your doctor and hospital staff about assistance programs, and ask if they know of any that you can participate in. If you don’t currently have insurance, you can look into the Affordable Care Act and find out if you’re eligible for Medicaid.
4. Ask your pharmacist for cheaper options
Your pharmacist knows more about drugs than you do, so they should be able to recommend cheaper alternatives. For example, if you usually purchase simvastatin, you should ask your pharmacist if they have pravastatin (a generic drug) available. If they do, you can switch to the generic version, which might be a lot less expensive.
5. Drug manufacturers’ assistance programmes
Some drug manufacturers have assistance programmes that give discounts to low-income families. If you have an income lower than a certain level, or if you have no insurance, you might be eligible for this type of assistance. If a family member is taking one of these drugs, you can always ask about a discount. You can also check your state’s website to see if there is a low-cost prescription drug program in your area.
6. Strategies to pay less for your medication
- Start with generic drugs
- Have your doctor switch you to a lower-cost medication
- Ask about assistance programs
- Shop around for better prices
- Don’t buy in bulk unless you need to
Bottom line
When it comes to prescription drugs, the more informed you are, the better. Prescription drugs can be very expensive, and often there are ways to pay less for them. Keep in mind that while there are ways to save money on prescription drugs, you should always be careful to avoid buying medications that you don’t need. Buying more medications than necessary is another way to increase your drug costs unnecessarily.