How to Keep Prescription Costs Low

All You Magazine's Amy Goodman Gives Tips, on The Early Show

(CBS)  Are medication costs busting your budget?

The high prices of prescription medications can force people into making choices they don't want to. Fortunately, there are ways to pay less at the pharmacy without compromising your health -- no matter what insurance you have.

Amy Goodman, senior editor of All You magazine shared on "The Early Show" Tuesday ways you can take control of your prescriptions and your health.

Shop Around for Prescription Savings

Five Ways to Cut Your Prescription Costs In A Big Way:

From All You magazine:

DISCUSS WITH YOUR PROVIDER
Don't be embarrassed to say you're having trouble affording your medications. Physicians want you to comply with their treatment plan, and often they can help you find cheaper alternatives. Ask for samples, and see if the doctor knows of local programs that provide financial assistance. Before doing anything discuss with your Doctor, or provider.

SAFETY TIP: If you get a free sample, check its side effects and expiration date.

1. Get a free discount card
A few health-care organizations (not to be confused with your insurance plan) have negotiated discounts that are available to anyone. Download the card from the Internet, take it to a participating pharmacy, and get a price break on both brand-name and generic drugs. For example, YourRxCard (866-561-1926; yourrxcard.com) cut the price of a vial of insulin by $9. Another card to try is FamilyWize (800-222-2818; familywize.org). Discounts vary, so check to see what you'll save on your specific medication.

2. Split pills
As long as your pills aren't capsules and your medication isn't time-released, ask your doctor if it's possible to double your dose and then split each pill in half. The cost per dose is likely much lower that way. When All You priced Lexapro, an antidepressant, the 5mg pills were about $3 each, and the 10mg pills were only 16 cents more. Be sure to use a pill splitter-a device available for a few dollars at drug stores-to hold the pills in place and help you cut each one accurately.

3. Buy Online, safely
Often you can reduce costs by ordering prescriptions online to be mailed to you. Your health insurance company might have a preferred mail-order pharmacy; call the number on your card to find out. Or go to vipps.info for a list of 17 pharmacies that have been approved for safety and privacy by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Mail-order pharmacies should be used only for medications you take regularly, not for drugs you need to treat a sudden illness.

SAFETY TIP: If you buy from a Web site, make sure it displays the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites seal. Unverified sites might sell you counterfeit drugs that could endanger your health.

4. Go generic
About 75 percent of brand-name drugs sold in the United States have a generic equivalent that costs significantly less. For example, a brand-name allergy drug can be $1 per pill, and the generic version is just 8 cents. Walmart, Target, Kroger and other discount and grocery chains offer 30-and 90-day supplies of generic drugs for $10 or less. If your doctor hasn't prescribed a generic, ask why. It's possible that the drug is new and there isn't a generic equivalent yet. If so, ask the doctor if there's an older, less expensive medicine that works just as well.

Did You Know?: The average brand-name prescription drug costs more than three times as much as the average generic.

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation

5. Look for coupons
Check OptimizeRx.com, a site on which drug companies post links to coupons and free offers. Also check the Web site of the company that makes your medication (to find the manufacturer, look on your prescription label next to the drug name and the dosage). If you're willing to switch pharmacies, some stores offer cash rewards to new customers.

SAFETY TIP: If you do change pharmacies, be sure to give the new pharmacist a complete list of all the prescription medications, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs you're taking, so he or she can check for interactions and other potential problems.

6. Get financial assistance
Many states, nonprofit groups and pharmaceutical companies can help you pay for your medications, even if you already have health insurance. The Partnership for Prescription Assistance acts as a clearinghouse for such programs. Visit PPARx.org or call 888-477-2669 to determine your eligibility. For information on children's programs, go to Kids.PPARx.org.

Stay organized Keep track of your meds with the free chart at SafeMedication.com (click on "My Medicine List").

7. Shop around
Drug prices can vary drastically at different pharmacies. Note the name, dose and quantity of the medicine your doctor prescribed, then compare prices at local pharmacies by calling around or searching DestinationRx.com. Check prices at your local warehouse clubs too-they often feature substantial discounts. Go to Costco.com and click on "Pharmacy" to see many prices posted. Costco offers an even greater price cut to people without prescription drug insurance.

Did you know?: One in five people surveyed in 2009 didn't fill a prescription in order to save money; 15 percent skipped doses or cut pills in half.

8. Order a 90-day supply
For medications you take regularly, ask your doctor to prescribe 90 days' worth. The price per dose is generally cheaper for larger quantities. And if you have insurance, you pay one co-pay instead of three.

9. Do a meds checkup
At least once a year, make a list of all the medications you take, including prescriptions, over-the-counter products, herbal remedies and vitamins. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to review the list. If you have more than one doctor, you could be taking two drugs that address the same symptom. Or, you might be on two drugs that shouldn't be taken together. Ask your doctor if you can eliminate one or more.

Some Questions to Ask Your Doctor

What happens if I don't take this medication?
In most cases, taking your medicine is critical. But sometimes it simply makes you more comfortable-for example, it alleviates a slight itch. If your condition isn't bothersome, ask your doctor if you can skip the medication.

Is there an over-the counter remedy?
For common symptoms such as a cough, muscle ache, sinus blockage or skin rash, ask your doctor if a non-prescription medicine may be just as effective.

Is there a generic equivalent?
If your doctor has prescribed a brand-name drug, find out why. Ask if you can try a generic first. If the generic's side effects bother you or the drug doesn't work well, you can switch to the brand name later.

Is there a less expensive choice?
Even among brand-name drugs, prices will vary, and doctors don't always think about the cost of prescriptions they write. When dropping off your prescription, ask how much it will be. If the price is exorbitant, call your doctor to request a cheaper alternative.

Are there lifestyle changes I can try that will make this medication unnecessary?
For some chronic conditions, such as diabetes and high cholesterol, you might be able to stay off drugs by changing your diet and lifestyle. Your doctor may be willing to give you a strategy and monitor your progress before moving to the meds. Be a proactive patient.

Don't blindly accept whatever prescription your doctor hands you. Instead, take a moment to manage your health and your budget by asking these important questions.

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Source: Kaiser Family Foundation

Sources: David Knowlton, board member, HealthWell Foundation; Jacqueline Kosecoff, CEO, Prescription Solutions; Cindy Reilly, director of practice development, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists; Eric Wilcox, DO, osteopathic physician at Pittsford Family Medicine in Pittsford, N.Y.

[NadiaMT]

The best way to save money on prescription drugs is to buy generic. You?re buying the same drug as the brand name, but not paying the high cost that comes with that name. There?s a new website called ?Medtipster? that provides a list of reputable pharmacies in your area that carry the generic you need and their costs by location. If you are looking for generics, check out medtipster (dot) com.

[jacknancy]

http://www.internationaldrugmart.com

[jacknancy]

The way I save on prescription drugs is by going generics. You can get generics online, easy way to purchase generics. I get from International Drug Mart, best online pharmacy with pharma experience for more than a decade.

[GlenMarty]

I got my Free RX Drug card from

www.crxservices.com

They have $25.00 RX eyeglassess and alot of other cool stuff.

[ray999999]

well goverment has to have there sticky fingers in everything not enough money we will raise taxs so there will be enough.so far obama has been a flop and is as bad as G.w.Bush.nothing like taking a vacation after a few days of drinking beer.

[inmom63]

To mswolfestock: I think it's wonderful you're 55, don't take any meds and live a healthy lifestyle. I don't have that option. My Dad was 57 when he died of a heart attack...my Mom was 52 when she died of a heart attack (she weighed 105 lbs and was healthy otherwise). All four of my grandparents died of heart disease. It runs in my family and I had my first heart attack at age 50. Arthritis also runs in my family and I have a shoulder that needs replacement, arthritic pain in my back, neck, hands, hips, knees and feet. I still work every day and my husband and I care for our four horses, dog and three cats. It's not as easy as a lifestyle choice. Some of us don't have much choice.

[birdjackie]

A phial of Humalog is $100 at CVS or Walgreens. Ten phials of Humalog in Canada (where no script is needed) is $300 ($30/phial). Why would any intelligent person purchase insulin in the US? Reputable suppliers put the insulin in dry ice. For me I just avoid the issue all together by buying in the spring and fall to avoid temperature extremes.

Canada provides many meds that are generic when they are still brand only in the US like Plavix and Crestor.

I've purchased my ten prescriptions drugs from Canada for ten years and have had no problem. I use www.getcanadiandrugs.com.

Thank god the US government has other issues to address and has left the Canadian drug supply alone. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

[mswolfestock]

The real problem is people are not asking their doctor THIS question -

"WHAT CAN I DO TO KEEP MYSELF HEALTHY AND AVOID TAKING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS?"

Y'all will save tons of money if you invest in a healthy lifestyle. I'm 55 years old and I don't take ANY prescription meds. Really, it's true. I don't smoke, I exercise, and I avoid excessive amounts of fat, sugar, and salt in my diet.

Trying to save $$ on prescription drugs is like closing the barn door after the horses escape.

[lovegetpeace]

Relocate to Canada or Cuba where all drugs are free.

[woeisme1]

Why can Walmart fill a script for $4.00? We don't need to open the markets internationally. They already are.

[lovegetpeace]

Hey woeisme1,
Walmart got Volume Power. Walmart is almost like a Government Entity buying from the Pharmaceutical Industry.

Show me one drug bottle/package that states on the label "Made in Non-USA".

Its like the appliance industry where you cannot buy an advance refrigerator "Made in Japan".

[lovegetpeace]

Open the Pharmaceutical Industry to the International Free Market competition.

Why do millions travel to Canada and Mexico to get them cheaper?

[sjc_1]

Other countries have laws that limit prices to the world median price. The same drugs are sold in the U.S. at MUCH higher prices, because they can and you have no choice. When people tried to buy them from Canada, Bush said that there were safety concerns....yeah, right. The same drug in a factory sealed container.

When the Medicare Part D drug program was pushed through by Bush with no way to pay for it, they put in a provision that said no negotiation on prices between Medicare and the drug companies. Medicare would have to pay the HUGE marked up prices for everything. This was a give away to the drug companies who write large checks to the GOP.

[scooterbee]

I can't belive you are condoning pill spliting. Many folks who are looking to save money are seniors who are on muiltiple meds and now you suggest that they ask for a large dose so they can split thier pill? This is bad, bad, bad. You are preparing for over doses to take place. Not responsible reporting. I am ashamed!!!!!!!

[birdjackie]

All physicians advocate pill spliting when the pill is scored.

[woeisme1]

You buy from your local constitutionally correct republican free market under ground black market enterpriser and tax evader.

[docpeter1953]

I prefer the old ways, early 1800s, get sick and recover or die. Cost is very cheap and something I can afford.