Do you pay a lot of money for medications? Do prescription drugs take a significant share of your budget?
You are not the only one.
Once people get to a certain age, they can’t live normally without medications. They help us to treat the conditions we have and live with as few obstacles as possible.
Drug prices have soared in the last five years, and more people are struggling to afford them than before.
You can try to make extra money in retirement and put some aside. However, today we will share several ideas on how to directly save money on prescription drugs.
- Ask a doctor for samples
- Switch to generic drugs
- Check for discounts
- Compare prices in different pharmacies
- Revise your Medicare drug plan
- Find programs to support you
Ask a Doctor for Samples
When a physician gives you a new medication, ask for a sample. This will save you a couple of dollars and has another benefit, too.
If the drug the doctor prescribed you doesn’t work, you will end up with a box of tablets nobody needs. By using a sample first, at least you won’t waste money on non-useful medications.
The practice of a doctor giving free samples to patients is not common, though, so don’t rely much on that.
Switch to Generic Drugs
Generic drugs cost way less than brand name ones.
Consult a physician and see whether it is safe to switch to a generic medication. They need to have the same quality as the brand name, but there may still be certain differences. This is why you need to consult a doctor before you switch to generics.
You can also search for other brands.
Sometimes, the same medicine is produced by several pharmaceutical companies. So try to find the least expensive brand.
Ask a pharmacist to help you find the least expensive medications, so you don’t waste money on expensive alternatives.
Check for Discounts
In 2015, seven times more medications were bought with coupon programs than six years before that.
Check the company’s website when going to a pharmacy. There is a chance they are offering discounts on the medicine you need.
There are also situations when companies give discount coupons to doctors. Ask if there is a coupon to save you a couple of bucks.
Compare Prices in Different Pharmacies
Living in a big city means there are plenty of pharmacies.
Sometimes the same company can offer different prices depending on the location of a store.
Explore the city and find out where the best prices are. There is a good chance the prices will be higher in the city center, so search around a little bit. Go to the suburbs and ask about the prices of the medicine you need.
Revise Your Medicare Drug Plan
Paying too much for medications? See if Medicare can lower the costs.
Learn more about Medicare insurance plans and what they cover. See if there is a plan that can help you pay the costs easily.
Find Programs to Support You
There are various programs that support patients with low income.
If you are not insured or don’t have good insurance, read more about the Partnership for Prescription Assistance. They also offer several other services which may be of interest to you.
Don’t waste your money on expensive drugs when you don’t need to. Take some time and do a little research. Find cheaper alternatives, coupons, or programs that will help you save money on prescription drugs.
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