Controlling Prescription Costs

Controlling medication costs can be difficult, especially for people who take multiple prescriptions.

Controlling medication costs can be difficult, especially for people who take multiple prescriptions. According to the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), the average prescription price in 2006 was $68.26, so it’s easy to see how costs can quickly add up. Here are some ways to keep your medication costs under control:

• Join the Medicare drug benefit program as soon as you’re eligible.
• Discuss your medications with your doctor, and make sure you haven’t been prescribed a drug that you don’t need.
• Ask your doctor about switching to generic drugs, which can cost up to five times less than brand-name drugs. The average price of a brand-name prescription drug was $111.02 in 2006, compared to $32.23 for a generic, according to the NACDS.
• Before you fill a prescription, ask your doctor if there is an over-the-counter medication that would work just as well.
• Comparison shop. Consumer Reports magazine found that prices varied as much as $100 for a one-month prescription.
• Ask your physician about pill-splitting. Bigger doses of medications often cost the same as smaller doses, so cutting a bigger-dose pill in half can save money. “My doctor suggested I cut 20-milligram Lipitor tablets in half for the 10-milligram doses he prescribes,” says Bob Rogers, 73, of Edmonds, Wash. “I’ve cut my cost in half.”
• Use mail-order options. Many prescription plans offer a 90-day medication supply for the price of a 60-day supply.
• Find out if you qualify for low-income benefits. You can check online at the website www.BenefitsCheckUpRx.org.
• Consider patient assistance programs. Offered by most pharmaceutical companies, these programs provide free or low-cost medications to patients who qualify. For more information, visit the website www.pparx.org or call (888) 4PPA-NOW

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