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Article Disclaimer: The following is for informational purposes only and none of it should be considered medical advice in any way. Please take the time to discuss all the information with a medical professional to confirm if the information is appropriate for your specific circumstances before acting upon anything written in this article.
While most people consider finding a place that sells discount prescription drugs as the only step possible to save money on prescribed medicine, they inadvertently bypass a number of important saving opportunities. The first step to reduce prescription costs is not where you buy your drugs, but to make sure that the medication you are taking (and paying for) is really necessary. While this may seem obvious, a surprising number of people continue to take prescription drugs long after their need has passed. In addition, people who receive prescriptions for various ailments from a variety of different doctors may be taking combinations of medicine that counteract each other rendering them ineffective.
To make sure you are taking only the drugs you really need, gather all the different medications you are currently using and take them to your doctor on your next visit. Your doctor can then go through each prescription with you to make sure that it is effectively working in combination with all the other medications you are taking as well as rechecking ailments for which the prescription drugs were originally prescribe. In many cases, this simple procedure will determine that you don't need all the drugs you have been taking (and paying for) thus taking a nice bite out of your prescription expenses.
At the same time the review of the drugs is taking place, you should find out if there are less expensive alternatives to the drugs you are currently taking. This is especially true for prescriptions that you have been taking for a long period. Just as in any business, new products are continuously appearing and new information on different ways to treat certain ailments usually improves over time. By discussing your current ailments, you may be able to find alternative prescription drugs that are just as effective at a better price.
You can also do research on certain drugs at <A HREF="http://www.crbestbuydrugs.org">crbestbuydrugs.org</A> which is run by the non profit organization that publishes Consumer Reports magazine. Just like they do with cars, appliances and other gadgets, the evaluate different types of prescription medicines on effectiveness, safety and cost.
While the website currently only compares drugs for high cholesterol, pain relief and heartburn, it plans on expanding the types of drugs compared to some 24 categories over the next couple of years adding a new category each month. For example, the site indicates a patient needing to lower cholesterol a moderate amount can save as much as $1,300 a year by switching from brand-name cholesterol-lowering drugs to lovastatin - a generic brand which is the site's "best buy."
Doing a bit of research will give you quality information that you can take to your doctor when discussing the best prescription for your ailment. This will give you background information on the pricing of different prescription drugs that are used to treat your condition and their pricing. It will also let you know if generic brands or over-the-counter drugs can also be used to treat your condition. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that generic drugs have the same effectiveness as the brand name prescription drugs making them a legitimate alternative for certain types of ailments. Finally, it may be possible to substitute over-the-counter drugs for prescription drugs in some cases which can result in 50%+ savings. Many prescription drugs are now available over-the-counter in the exact same form, but in weaker strengths than their prescription counterparts.
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The next set of questions to discuss with your doctor is the appropriate dosages. Most prescription drugs have the same price per tablet no matter what the strength. For example, if you have been taking two 50 mg tablets at the same time and the manufacturer also produces a 100 mg tablet, switching to the 100 mg tablet will likely reduce your prescription cost by 50%. The same ploy can be utilized in the opposite direction with certain prescription drugs. You can "tablet split" the prescription drug to save money. In this instance, if you only need a prescription of 50 mg, you purchase a prescription of 100 mg tablets (remember, prescription drugs tend to have the same price per tablet no matter what the strength) and then split the tablets in half when taking the drug thus reducing your prescription costs by half. Be sure to consult with your doctor as to whether this option is viable for the prescriptions you're taking as it can be extremely dangerous with certain medications while perfectly acceptable with others.
If after these discussions you doctor feels that less expensive drugs are a possibility in your situation (or anytime you are receiving a prescription for the first time), ask if the doctor has samples of the drug available. Manufacturers will often give samples to doctors, and since you do not know how your body will react to this new drug, you don't want to spend a lot of money on a full sized prescription to find out after a few days that the drug is not working for you. If the doctor does not have samples, or if there is a cheaper alternative available to the sample brand, ask that the prescription be made out for a trial period (a time period just to determine if the drug is effective and your body can tolerate it).
Once you have decided on the prescription drug you will be using, if it's a brand name take a trip to their website. Many of the drug manufacturer's websites have promotional packages and discount coupons that you can use when filling your prescription that can greatly lower their overall cost.
Finally you want to make sure that you follow the prescription guidelines that your doctor gives. Many people try to save money by taking drugs less frequently than they are prescribed. Not only can this be extremely dangerous, it in many cases it will have the opposite effect and cost you much more. By not following the proper instructions, you risk extending the length of your ailment thus incurring extra medical charges in the long run.
While most people consider finding a place that sells discount prescription drugs as the only step possible to save money on prescribed medicine, they inadvertently bypass a number of important saving opportunities. The first step to reduce prescription costs is not where you buy your drugs, but to make sure that the medication you are taking (and paying for) is really necessary. While this may seem obvious, a surprising number of people continue to take prescription drugs long after their need has passed. In addition, people who receive prescriptions for various ailments from a variety of different doctors may be taking combinations of medicine that counteract each other rendering them ineffective.
To make sure you are taking only the drugs you really need, gather all the different medications you are currently using and take them to your doctor on your next visit. Your doctor can then go through each prescription with you to make sure that it is effectively working in combination with all the other medications you are taking as well as rechecking ailments for which the prescription drugs were originally prescribe. In many cases, this simple procedure will determine that you don't need all the drugs you have been taking (and paying for) thus taking a nice bite out of your prescription expenses.
At the same time the review of the drugs is taking place, you should find out if there are less expensive alternatives to the drugs you are currently taking. This is especially true for prescriptions that you have been taking for a long period. Just as in any business, new products are continuously appearing and new information on different ways to treat certain ailments usually improves over time. By discussing your current ailments, you may be able to find alternative prescription drugs that are just as effective at a better price.
You can also do research on certain drugs at <A HREF="http://www.crbestbuydrugs.org">crbestbuydrugs.org</A> which is run by the non profit organization that publishes Consumer Reports magazine. Just like they do with cars, appliances and other gadgets, the evaluate different types of prescription medicines on effectiveness, safety and cost.
While the website currently only compares drugs for high cholesterol, pain relief and heartburn, it plans on expanding the types of drugs compared to some 24 categories over the next couple of years adding a new category each month. For example, the site indicates a patient needing to lower cholesterol a moderate amount can save as much as $1,300 a year by switching from brand-name cholesterol-lowering drugs to lovastatin - a generic brand which is the site's "best buy."
Doing a bit of research will give you quality information that you can take to your doctor when discussing the best prescription for your ailment. This will give you background information on the pricing of different prescription drugs that are used to treat your condition and their pricing. It will also let you know if generic brands or over-the-counter drugs can also be used to treat your condition. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that generic drugs have the same effectiveness as the brand name prescription drugs making them a legitimate alternative for certain types of ailments. Finally, it may be possible to substitute over-the-counter drugs for prescription drugs in some cases which can result in 50%+ savings. Many prescription drugs are now available over-the-counter in the exact same form, but in weaker strengths than their prescription counterparts.
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The next set of questions to discuss with your doctor is the appropriate dosages. Most prescription drugs have the same price per tablet no matter what the strength. For example, if you have been taking two 50 mg tablets at the same time and the manufacturer also produces a 100 mg tablet, switching to the 100 mg tablet will likely reduce your prescription cost by 50%. The same ploy can be utilized in the opposite direction with certain prescription drugs. You can "tablet split" the prescription drug to save money. In this instance, if you only need a prescription of 50 mg, you purchase a prescription of 100 mg tablets (remember, prescription drugs tend to have the same price per tablet no matter what the strength) and then split the tablets in half when taking the drug thus reducing your prescription costs by half. Be sure to consult with your doctor as to whether this option is viable for the prescriptions you're taking as it can be extremely dangerous with certain medications while perfectly acceptable with others.
If after these discussions you doctor feels that less expensive drugs are a possibility in your situation (or anytime you are receiving a prescription for the first time), ask if the doctor has samples of the drug available. Manufacturers will often give samples to doctors, and since you do not know how your body will react to this new drug, you don't want to spend a lot of money on a full sized prescription to find out after a few days that the drug is not working for you. If the doctor does not have samples, or if there is a cheaper alternative available to the sample brand, ask that the prescription be made out for a trial period (a time period just to determine if the drug is effective and your body can tolerate it).
Once you have decided on the prescription drug you will be using, if it's a brand name take a trip to their website. Many of the drug manufacturer's websites have promotional packages and discount coupons that you can use when filling your prescription that can greatly lower their overall cost.
Finally you want to make sure that you follow the prescription guidelines that your doctor gives. Many people try to save money by taking drugs less frequently than they are prescribed. Not only can this be extremely dangerous, it in many cases it will have the opposite effect and cost you much more. By not following the proper instructions, you risk extending the length of your ailment thus incurring extra medical charges in the long run.
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