Cheap Prescriptions: 7 Ways to Save Money on Generic Drugs

Have you seen the spiraling costs of generic medication, and said “Hello, wasn’t generic medicine supposed to be affordable?” What was meant to be easy healthcare for the not so wealthy is now not easy for the masses to afford- what’s wrong here? Why are the prices soaring? From asthma to COPD, heart issues to diabetes and more, cancer and tumor treatments or nasal sprays too, generic medication is quite a pocket pincher and sources say, from 2015 it wouldn’t be covered by the many health insurance policies we have.

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Where does the layman go for medical help?

Doctors hands are tied down too, and they have no other means than to prescribe medication from top-notch brands that are not only expensive, but aren’t easy to procure as well. Pharmacies across the nation provide alternatives that aren’t too easy to find or use, and some have side-effects too; reason why doctors wouldn’t want to recommend them too.

Check your health plan and policy

Get in touch with your healthcare provider today, and ask them for a comprehensive list on all medication needs they cover you for. Chances are you may not be the lucky one with full coverage anymore, as promised. The drug formulary they dole out would be a list of generic and branded prescription drugs under cover and preferred by them. And should you be shopping for health insurance and medical plans, get complete details of the medications that are covered and those that aren’t. DON’T BE TAKEN FOR A NASTY SURPRISE LATER ON!

HOW TO SAVE ON GENERIC MEDICATION

  1. When you plan to shop for health and medical plans, check the drug formulary and see if the medication you would need is covered by the insurance company or not. For this, it would be best to sit with your family doctor and to check on the list as well.
  2. Retail pharmacies are very expensive; much more than mail orders it seems. Monthly refills are mightier pocket pinching than the quarterly refills.
  3. Check from one pharmacy online or a brick and mortar one, to the next. There are discounts and membership schemes that can help bring down the cost of medications- generic and branded alike!
  4. Ask for samples from the medical provider. Stick to the branded medicines when asking for samples. This will make sure that even if you get recommendation from the doctor for a cheaper chemist, you wouldn’t have to compromise on the quality.
  5. If you can speak to your doctor about the same, he would recommend higher dosage than the usual, to bring down costs. Agree to it and split the dosage into half. A 30mg tab instead of 15mg tab comes cheaper; 30mg split twice can do the job. But speak to your doctor about the same, before doing it on your own.
  6. Brand medications are sold with discounts by some manufacturers, check them on the parent website of the company, and you would know how to ask for refills for cheap!
  7. There are websites such as Needy Meds that help commoners with low income find cheaper and better generic medication, approved by doctors and the FDA alike- get in touch with them.

In the end, we all want to live a happy and a healthy life, and money shouldn’t be the factor in determining the quality of medication for the same too. Stay blessed and do your homework on the seven tips we gave you today!