6 Smart Tips to Help You Save Money on Prescriptions
About 50 percent of people take at least one prescription drug on a daily basis. Almost 25 percent take three or more of them.
If you’re one of the millions of people who rely on prescription drugs, you understand just how important they are to your health. But you also know that they can really take a toll on your bank account if you’re forced to pay too much for them.
Fortunately, there are lots of ways to save money on prescriptions, if you’re willing to get creative. You can cut the costs of your prescription drugs significantly and stop spending more than you should really have to on them.
Here are 6 smart tips that will help you save money on prescriptions right away.
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Ask Your Doctor If They Have Any Free Prescription Samples to Give Away
One of the simplest ways to save money on prescriptions is to ask your doctor if they have any free prescription samples they would be willing to give to you.
There are many pharmaceutical representatives that will visit with doctors and drop samples off in an effort to convince a doctor to prescribe a certain medication. Your doctor could very well have a closet full of these prescriptions right inside their office.
While your doctor might not have the prescription you need in sample form, it definitely couldn’t hurt to ask.
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Find Out If Your Doctor Can Provide You With Prescription Coupons
Your doctor might not have access to any free sample prescriptions for you. But they could very well have prescription coupons that they can give to you.
In addition to dropping off samples, many pharmaceutical reps have also gotten into the habit of giving doctors coupons to entice them to write out certain prescriptions. Your doctor might be more than willing to give you one to save you some money.
Again, it can’t hurt to ask your doctor if they have coupons available. If nothing else, it’ll show your doctor that you’re doing whatever you can to cut the cost of prescriptions. They might have some other ideas about how you can do it.
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See If Your Prescription Drug Company Has a Patient Assistance Program in Place
Just about every prescription drug company has some kind of patient assistance program in place for those who can’t afford to purchase their prescriptions.
Drug companies are well aware of the fact that many of their prescriptions are expensive. So, they set up programs that people can use to get a break on the cost of their medications.
Many of these programs are need-based, which means you might not qualify for them. But some of the programs aren’t and will allow just about anyone to qualify for discounts on their prescription drugs.
The worst thing a drug company is going to do is tell you that you don’t qualify for their programs. It couldn’t hurt to call on them and see what they can do to help you save money on prescriptions.
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Check to See If There Is a Generic Form of the Prescription Drug You Need
Were you prescribed a name-brand prescription drug by your doctor?
If so, check with your doctor to see if the name-brand prescription has a generic option available. In most cases, generic drugs will cost just a fraction of name-brand ones and will deliver the same results.
You should be especially mindful of generic prescription drugs if your doctor tells you that you’re going to need to stay on a prescription for a long time. You could end up saving yourself thousands of dollars in the long run by going with a generic drug over a name-brand option.
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Avoid Clawbacks at All Costs
If you’re not familiar with prescription clawbacks, now is the time to educate yourself about them. They could be costing you money each and every time you walk up to the pharmacy counter!
A clawback occurs when a person’s insurance copay is actually higher than the cost of the prescription they’re buying. It forces you to pay more than you should really have to for your prescriptions.
Let’s say that you go to pick up a prescription and a pharmacist tells you that you owe $10 for your insurance copay. It doesn’t raise any red flags, because you always pay $10 for your copay when you pick up this particular prescription.
But in reality, that prescription you picked up might not cost $10. So, you’re actually paying more for your prescription than it’s worth, which benefits your insurance company and the pharmacy but not you.
Amazingly, about 23 percent of people lose money on clawbacks every year. If you suspect you might be one of them, ask your pharmacist the next time you pick up a prescription what the actual cost of it is.
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Purchase Prescription Drugs Through a Reputable Online Pharmacy
These days, people don’t need to visit a physical pharmacy to get their hands on the prescription drugs they need.
They have the option of using an online pharmacy to obtain the same prescription drugs for a lot less money. This can help them save money on prescriptions while staying healthy at the same time.
You can find many common prescription drugs for a lot less through online Pharmacies. You can also ask any questions you might have about your prescriptions and even get automatic refill reminders when your prescription runs low.
Save Money on Prescriptions and Stay Healthier Today
At the end of the day, you shouldn’t pay any more money for prescription drugs than you absolutely have to. While they’re important to your health, they also shouldn’t break the bank and force you to cut back in other areas of your life.
Learn how to save money on prescriptions and start cutting your costs as much as you can. It’ll allow you to lead a healthy life while also providing you with enough money to enjoy it.
Check out our blog for more tips on saving money in all kinds of different ways.
