Everyone knows that medicines are costly, leaving you frustrated. They can sometimes take up too much of your budget. That’s when the realization will hit you that being sick is costly while being actively healthy is liberating.
If your medicines are too expensive for you, the doctor may suggest a less expensive alternative. You and your doctor can discuss the more cost-effective choices.
There are other ways enumerated below that can help you save money on your medicine:
1. Generic Version
For those who are not aware, generic drugs are the cheaper versions of branded drugs. Don’t worry as these types of drugs are safe and effective as long as approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
For instance, prednisone is a generic drug used to treat arthritis, asthma, and allergies. You can save much more with this generic medicine than a branded drug, as this can still treat the same illness.
Generic drugs have the same ingredients as the branded ones. Branded drugs cost more because more resources were put into development and marketing.
So, once your doctor prescribes you with medications, always ask if there’s a generic one available. If there is none, you can check with your doctor if there is a similar medicine with a generic drug available.
2. Compare Prices
Most people are not aware that prices may vary in every pharmacy. Some pharmacies have different suppliers which will affect the pricing strategy.
Some go to the direct drug makers, while others only have a middleman which causes an increase in price.
To save time and energy from visiting multiple pharmacies to compare prices, you can call pharmacies around your area and ask first about the prices.
You can also use a smartphone app or your computer to do that job for you.
Through this, you can settle on a pharmacy which is most convenient for you and your wallet.
3. Health Insurance
Your health insurance is there for a reason: to assist you on health and medication bills. Each insurance company has a formulary.
A formulary is the list of generic and branded drugs that insurance companies cover. If you’re insured, you can check your insurance company’s website, or call to see if the medication that your doctor prescribed is covered.
If not, you can ask about a similar generic medicine as an alternative.
Be aware that your insurance company’s formulary may change every few months, so check with your insurance company for updates before you visit a doctor.
Your doctor may prescribe a drug from a different tier so that you can save up more.
4. Large Supply
This tip usually works for medications you take long-term. There will be instances when your doctor will ask you to take a specific medicine for at least three months.
In cases like this, you can ask your doctor to write you a prescription for a 90-day supply instead.
You can save more money by buying medications in large quantities. Morover, you won’t need to refill your medicines as often.
5. Financial Assistance
As a patient, you have the right to tell your doctor about your financial concern, aside from telling them about your sickness.
In most cases, most doctors are not aware of how much medicines cost. Let your doctor know that you’d prefer to have the generic drugs.
Your doctor will do his best to find an alternative that suits your health and your wallet.
You can also check if your pharmacy offers discount cards. Pharmacists will also know if certain drug companies are offering promotions.
They might also give you coupons for certain drugs or manufacturers. Your doctor might not know about these things due to limited access, but your pharmacists will. You might just save yourself a lot of money.
6. Medicine Inventory
You may have collected several medications in your inventory after a long while. If you think you’re spending a lot on your medicines, it’s time you have a run-through of your medicine inventory.
Take a list of these medicines and dosages with you at your doctor’s appointment.
Consult him as to why you’re still taking some of these, or if you still need to regularly take some of these. Open up to him about your financial concern and your need to save more money.
Your doctor will eliminate medicines from your regimen if he sees that you no longer need them.
Then, he’ll look for a cheaper alternative for the existing ones. He’ll also check if your current dosage is still correct or can be lessened.
7. Samples
Some doctors would insist on recommending an expensive medication, depending on your health condition. These may be branded medications which don’t have a generic counterpart yet.
If that’s the case, you can ask your doctor for a free sample. This way, you can first try the drug to ensure that it doesn’t have any side effects on you.
8. Be Serious
It’s understandable how some of you may be tempted to skip on your medications for the goal of saving up money. Keep in mind that your doctor prescribed those medications for your wellness.
The more you disobey, the more chances your health or sickness may worsen.
This will only complicate things and lead to more serious health problems which mean bigger bills too.
It’s best that you treat your sickness at an early stage to save yourself from bigger bills in the future. The healthier you are, the more you’re free from medical obligations.
Key Takeaway
It’s equally important for some people to save money while maintaining medications for their health. Prescribed medications can be costly, depending on the drug type and how often you need to get them.
While medications can be a big blow on your budget, these aforementioned tips may help you out.
Nonetheless, always remember to prioritize your health at all times and don’t compromise it for other things. As the popular saying goes, your health is wealth.
