Due to a serious illness, I developed allergy/reactions to various medications, especially prescription drugs. This was costing me a small fortune, as I would fill a script and after 1 or 2 pills have to dispose of the rest because I could not tolerate them. We have no insurance so all scripts were paid in full by us.
My pharmacist finally told me that I could request a partial fill of a couple of pills and if they worked, get the rest and if not cancel the script! This tip has saved me hundreds of dollars. Now I always ask for a partial when getting a new drug script filled.
By PlumCottage from the beach in NJ
This page contains the following solutions.
With the economy these days prescription costs are just one more thing people worry about. Did you know that you can pay a reasonable price on many of the most needed medications if you just do your homework?
To get some bang for your expensive prescription bucks, you may want to transfer some prescriptions to your local Kmart. They are having a special offer right now in which you can receive up to four $25 gift cards between now and April 10, 2010.
Individual companies quietly give away millions of dollars in medication every year. If you or a family member simply cannot pay for much needed medicine, call the manufacturer directly.
Save some money and get well! Tell your physician to prescribe older medications or generic.
I work in a pharmacy and find there are several ways to save money on prescriptions that many of our patients are not aware of.
When I get single OTC pills through freebie offers (such as Zyrtec, Prilosec, etc.) I save them to put in a special "medical" pouch in my purse for emergencies. Ditto for single applications of SPF lotion.
To help you save money on your prescriptions while your at your doctors office ask the doctor if he has samples of the medication you need. Almost all doctors have tons of samples given to them by drug suppliers.
Pharmacies are constantly competing for new business and often have coupons offering a $10 or $25 store gift card for filling new prescriptions or transferring a prescription to their pharmacy.
Check your prescription medications to see if they qualify for the "split a pill" program. The program identifies medications that you can take in 1/2 pill form and be safe knowing you are getting a correct dosage.
Any time my husband or I are started on a new prescription that will have to be repeated over and over I take a few minutes to call via the phone to check prices.
If you take particular medications regularly, compare prices with different pharmacies. Call each of them and let them know each medication you take; the name of the drug, the dosage, and the amount your prescription calls for; and ask what their price is.
Patient Assistance Programs. You can get lots of medicines free! Go to Patient Assistance Programs and put in the name of your medicine.
Consider having your doctor prescribe pills in a strength you can cut in half (not all meds are suitable for this). If you do this, buy a pill cutter for a few dollars at the drug store.
One of our readers shares her experience with shopping around for prescription drugs and her savings as a result! Click on the link above to read.
Many people are entitled to benefits that they do not know about. In Massachusetts, there is a program to help offset the cost of medication not covered by Medicare.
There is a website that allows you to print a coupon that can be used over and over for discounts on your prescription drugs. Most major pharmacies accept it, like Publix, Walgreens, WalMart, Target, Savon etc. Go to SuperRxcard.com
Make sure to take advantage of pharmacy offers to give gift cards if you'll transfer prescriptions. I recently transferred a medicine and received a $20 gift card...