Friday, May 21, 2010

Three Ways to Save Money on Prescription Medicines

If you live on a fixed income, it can be difficult to find the money for all the things that you need to budget for each month. Prescription medications can be expensive but it's possible to save money on them fairly easily. If you're tired of spending too much money on medicine each month, consider trying one or more of these cost cutting tricks.

Switch to an Equivalent Generic

Ask your doctor if there is a generic medication available to treat your condition. Many prescription medicines have generic equivalents that cost less than half the price of the brand name. If the drug you're taking doesn't have a generic, your doctor may be able to switch you to a different medication that does. In fact, many states have laws requiring the pharmacy to substitute the generic if it's available. If you must take a brand name medicine, ask your doctor about coupons or discounts.

Split a Higher Dosage Pill

Ask your doctors if they'll consider prescribing your medication in a larger dosage. Many medications cost the same price per pill, regardless of the dosage. So, 50 milligram pills may cost the same as 25 milligram pills. If your medication can be split and your doctor is willing to write a prescription for the larger dosage, you can save half the price of your medication while making it last twice as long.

Consider Mail Order

In many cases, you can order a three month supply of your prescription medicine and pay one co-pay if you get your medicine by mail order. Even if you don't have insurance, it may still be cheaper to mail order your prescriptions than to get them filled at the local pharmacy. Consult your doctor or pharmacist to see if this option is available to you, and if it is, be sure to sign up for the program.

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