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7 More Ways to Save Thousands on Prescription Drugs

Updated on November 4, 2011

7 More Great Savings Tips:

Okay, due to the great reception that the first 10 tips received, I have worked hard and dug deeper to come up with 7 more very useful strategies to save you or a loved one potentially thousands of dollars every year on prescription drugs.  Our spending on prescription medications continues to rise.  And with a tightening economy we all need to do what we can to control our expenses.  Really, you shouldn’t have to choose between buying food and buying pills.  Help is available!  So here are 7 more great ways to save money on your prescription medications:

 

Buy in Bulk:

Believe it or not, just like bulk purchases of other items can save you significant amounts of money, often prescription medication can be purchased in larger quantities at substantial savings.  This is especially true if you are taking a generic medication.  I have several customers who actually buy a 1 year supply of some of their medications.  Now, if you have an insurance plan, they may not allow you to get more than 30 or 90 days at once.  But ask your pharmacist what it would cost for 100 days, 200 days, or even a year!  Of course, you would need to get a prescription for this quantity from your doctor, but most will understand the cost savings and gladly provide this to you.

 

Consider an Online Pharmacy:

This is different from using the mail order option with your insurance company. This is just a regular retail pharmacy that anyone can use…they just do all (or most) of their business over the phone and over the internet. If you pay for your medications out-of-pocket (i.e. you do NOT have insurance) this could save you a bundle! Because of the lower overhead needed to operate an online pharmacy they can often pass along substantial savings. And even if you do have insurance, they could save you time by delivering your prescriptions right to your door, often offering FREE delivery!


See if you qualify for a State Funded Prescription Program:

Many States offer a prescription savings program for individuals who do not qualify for Medicaid, but nevertheless have significant prescription expenses and limited income. Check these out! You may qualify for a FREE or low cost State-funded program which could greatly offset your prescription costs. An example of a plan like this is the Prescription Advantage Plan in Massachusetts or ConnPace in Connecticut.

To find such plans for your State, just search online for “YOUR STATE” prescription drug programs or look go to the office of Elder Affairs for your State or the State’s Department of Health and Human Services.

Do You Qualify for Medicare D?

If you have Medicare, then you are now eligible to participate in the new Federal Prescription Drug program for Medicare, called Medicare Part D. You do have to pay for this plan, but it could save you a lot of money if your prescription costs are running high. To find out all about Medicare Part D and how to enroll go to http://www.medicare.gov/


Look into a Prescription Discount Card:

These are not insurance cards, but rather low-cost (or NO cost) prescription discount cards which can be used at your local pharmacy for discounts on prescription medication. These are simple programs that take anywhere from 5% to sometimes 50% off the prescription price! The card basically gives free advertising to the pharmacy, and in turn the pharmacy discounts the prescription according to an agreed upon percentage. You generally cannot find out beforehand how great your savings will be, but if you pay out-of-pocket and get mostly generic medications you could save a lot.

Examples of these cards include the AAA prescription saving’s card and the YourRxCard program (which is FREE to join!).

Check out the Drug Manufacturer’s Website:

Not for coupons, but for enrollment in their Patient Prescription Programs! Almost all drug manufacturers have some form of prescription drug program to help folks on limited incomes to purchase their medication or provide their medications free of charge. Don’t feel bad for them…really…they are making plenty of money. They can afford to give you a free Advair inhaler or bottle of Neurontin capsules. Go to their website, or call their 800 number. See the picture below for some of their contact information.

Use a Prescription Savings Search Engine:

Several websites have collected vast amounts of savings information for consumers seeking assistance paying for prescription drugs. By answering a few questions, they can direct you to some fantastic programs. Two such programs are:

http://www.rxassist.org/

https://www.pparx.org/Intro.php


That's 17 Ways to Save!

Okay, if you add these 7 tips to the previous 10 tips you now have 17 ways to save! Even if just a few of these tips apply, you are well on your way to saving significant money on your prescription purchases. I sincerely hope these have helped you. If so...feel free to let me know!

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