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The prices of medications are increasing every year, and as consumers, there’s little to nothing that we can do about it. Imagine all the people needing their potentially life-saving medications but don’t have the money to buy their prescriptions. Now that’s a situation we don’t want to be in.
Fortunately, instead of just being bitter about the increase in the prices, there are some things that we can do to save money on medications even just a little bit lower.
From asking for generics to looking for apps that can help us find cheaper medication, we’re sure that there is at least one way in here that will make your pockets a little bit heavier. Let’s start.
Ask for Generics
This broad category of medications has the same active ingredients as the name brand but at a much lower cost. There’s even a possibility that the generic works better for you in some cases.
Nevertheless, it’s a much cheaper yet still effective way of medication. If you don’t know how to get them, you can talk about it with your doctor. You can even ask for it from your pharmacist.
Even though generics are much cheaper, that doesn’t mean that they are not expensive. For example, some medications have a very expensive development process that even the generic version of it still has a very high price. In these cases, you might want to ask your doctor for an alternative treatment.
Also, when your name brand medication is quite new, there’s a fair chance that a generic has not been developed yet. When a patent is made for a medication, the company will be given time to make a profit off of it before it is published for other companies to use.
Use Your Insurance
If you have health insurance, then you have made the right decision. Each insurance company has a list of medications that it offers to cover called a formulary. However, the list is expensive, and it will take you a long time to find out if your medication is there, so to save time, you can just call your insurance provider.
First, however, find out that your medication is not in the formulary. Then, you can call your insurance provider and ask them if there is an alternative medication they are willing to cover. Of course, you still have to consult with your doctor before accepting their proposal.
If you’re clever enough, you can get a higher dose and cut it in half because some insurance companies will charge based on the quantity you bought. So by doubling the dosage and cutting it in half, instead of paying for 30 pills, you’ll only copay for 15, for example.
Stick to Preferred Pharmacies
Most plans have a preferred network of pharmacies that they are working with. Most networks are broad and have some exclusive add-ons for insurance holders.
One of these is the home delivery option, where they can deliver your medication routinely. In a preferred pharmacy, you can also usually get a discount that will shave off the price of the medication by more than half sometimes.
Shop for Prices
The prices of medications vary widely from pharmacy to pharmacy, so it’s a good decision to shop for prices. If you don’t want to walk or drive for miles going to every pharmacy in the city, there are apps and blogs like the Buzzrx Blog that can help you look for lower prices.
Ask for Help
The doctors themselves have no idea how much medicines cost most of the time. However, there are times when they are also knowledgeable about things related to medication outside of their offices. You can talk to your doctor if you have concerns related to your medications’ price. They can point you in the right direction, which can lead to pretty amazing discoveries like opportunities for coupons, discounts, etc.
Some pharmacies often have plans where people can get a 30-day prescription for medication for as low as $10 or less. In some cases, patients can get them for free. Pharmacies will also know if drug manufacturers are running promotions like discounts for bulk orders or some coupons. All you have to do is ask for help, and then you shall receive it.
Final Words
The medication prices are not getting lower by the day, so sometimes we have to take the opportunities to save money from prescription drugs. From looking for medicine online to asking your doctor for help financially, there are several things you can do to make healthy living much cheaper and more accessible.
