Have you stopped by a pharmacy recently to pick up your prescription meds just to get shocked by their new price? Unfortunately, medicine prices worldwide are steadily rising, and even people who have coverage or insurance are having problems buying medicines due to this issue.

This increase is due to the manufacturers charging more for their medicines as well as the increase in copay and deductible amounts that insurance companies set.

If you are feeling that your meds are steadily increasing to ridiculous prices, you’re not the only one. With that in mind, if you have insurance for a prescription drug, you should constantly check the details whenever your coverage period begins to check the amounts deductible and copayment. You might not know that there are a few changes in the details, like something along the lines of having an increased deductible amount.

However, did you know that there are some things you can do to reduce the price of your prescription meds to a more affordable price? Yes, you heard that right. That said, here are some tips and tricks to reduce the value of your prescription meds.

Eliminate Unnecessary Medications

The first step to reducing your medication cost is to determine if you’re taking unnecessary medications. But how would you do that? To do this, you have to determine why you are taking the medication, how long you should take it, and the results you should see when and after taking the medication.

Of course, suppose the medicine isn’t doing what it’s supposed to do after a significant amount of time. In that case, you can go ahead and consult your doctor about stopping the medication or asking for an alternate one.

There is no reason for you to continue taking medication that is essentially doing nothing. However, as unfortunate as it is, many people are doing just that sometimes. And the worst part of it is people mostly figure out that it’s inappropriate to continue the medication until the prescription is no longer available. By that time, they have already wasted a lot of money.

Stop Taking Duplicate Prescription Meds

Another thing that jacks up your medication costs is taking two duplicate meds. This mostly happens when you get the same prescription from two different doctors. Additionally, there are also other risks of taking duplicate medicine, such as overdosage. Always check with your doctors and tell them about the situation.

Tell Your Doctor About Your Financial Concern

Most people nowadays would only know how much their prescription costs only after their doctor’s visit, which is a big mistake. When your doctor is writing your prescription, you can speak up about your financial concern and tell them that you’re also concerned about the prices of the medication. You can then follow up a discussion regarding switching to generic, which by the way, is 90% cheaper than the branded ones.

Or you could also talk about switching to cheaper therapeutic substitutions, which are essentially just a different type of medicine but has the same effect on your condition. You can even talk about cutting the dosage of the meds you are taking and other options to make your condition better, such as talking therapies and such.

Also, one trick you can do in this situation is to ask for a 90-day prescription instead of a 30-day one. This way, you would only need to copay one instead of three prescriptions.

Shop Online

Deals such as getting several boxes for only a few dollars or having big discounts for paying in cash are just some of the promos pharmacies run.

To get these kinds of deals, you can ask your pharmacist if you can save a lot of money on your prescription meds if you bypass your insurance. This is especially important since there are medications that insurance may not cover.

Not only that, but you can also shop around other pharmacies to get the prices available to save a lot of money in the process. Prices between pharmacies change drastically, so make sure to always shop around in physical stores and online. Speaking of online, some websites can help you shop around by comparing medicines’ prices.

Not only that, but you can also fill out forms, and these websites would automatically lead you to an external link where you can buy your medicine at the best prices possible. Also, online pharmacies offer discounts and other promos for people to enjoy.

However, make sure that the website is not fraudulent. We recommend you only buy from websites that operate within the US and have a VIPPS symbol that stands for Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site, which means that the retailer is legit.

Conclusion

Of course, there are a lot more ways for you to save money on your prescription meds, but the ones mentioned above are some of the best ways to do so.

Medicine prices are steadily rising nowadays, and it never hurts to find a way to at least save a few dollars on your medicine. But of course, it’s always best if you consult with your doctors or pharmacists first before doing so.

Categories: General

Nicolas Desjardins

Hello everyone, I am the main writer for SIND Canada. I've been writing articles for more than 12 years and I like sharing my knowledge. I'm currently writing for many websites and newspapers. I always keep myself very informed to give you the best information. All my years as a computer scientist made me become an incredible researcher. You can contact me on our forum or by email at [email protected].