If you’re on prescription medication, then you probably understand how hard it is to navigate the changes you have to make to your health plans annually while trying to cut your spending on prescription drugs without compromising on the quality of the drugs. Ultimately, there are several helpful ways you can use to save on medication costs. Keep reading to learn more about these money-saving options.
Consider generic options
A common misconception many patients have is that they always need to go for an identical version of the brand name medications they have been prescribed. This isn’t necessarily true; generic drugs are just as effective as brand name drugs since they are both held to the same rigorous manufacturing standards by regulation bodies like the FDA. Their bio-availability (how they perform in the body) also has to be very close to that of the brand name version. If you find that brand-name medications are too expensive for you, talk to your physician about recommending generic options that can help you save money while being just as effective.
Online pharmacies
Sometimes, cutting costs on prescription drugs requires you to be a savvy shopper, and finding the right online pharmacy for mail-order drug delivery is a great way to do that. Buying prescription medication online offers many cost-effective benefits such as; competitive/low prices on both generic and brand name medications, discounts, coupons, and room to shop while comparing prices. Online stores like Canada Pharmacy Online even offer referral bonuses to both new and existing customers. In addition to helping you cut costs, online pharmacies offer more convenience, a wide range of available drugs, and more discretion for customers.
Re-evaluate your drugs periodically
When going for your annual physical with your doctor, one important thing you should bring with you is a bag containing all the prescription medications you’re taking. Even with the growing use of electronic medical records, your doctor might not be aware of all the prescription and OTC medications you are currently using. By bringing all your medications in for evaluation, your doctor may discover and remove certain drugs that either have adverse interactions with one another or are duplicate actions of each other. In some cases, your doctor might even tell you to discontinue medications that are no longer necessary.
Compare drug prices
One thing about retail drug prices is that they tend to vary enormously from pharmacy to pharmacy. This is usually due to different pharmacies paying different prices to different manufacturers and wholesalers. Also, different pharmacies use different systems to mark up their drugs. A good way to cut costs on drug prices is to make a comparison of the prices your local pharmacies offer with the prices of certified online pharmacies like Canada Pharmacy Online and go for the one that suits you best. If you’re buying prescription medications from different pharmacies, ensure to let them know about your medication history, including the drugs you are currently on, to ensure that your new meds don’t have any adverse drug interactions with the old ones.
Conclusion
It can be quite overwhelming to deal with the high costs of prescription medications while also handling the stress of an illness. Luckily with money-saving alternatives like online pharmacies, generic options, and drug price comparisons, you should be able to significantly minimize your prescription drug spending.
John Davis is a seasoned health journalist with expertise in public health and medical research. Holding a degree in health sciences, John excels in making complex health topics understandable and engaging for his readers. His articles, featured in top health publications, cover everything from cutting-edge treatments to public health policies. Outside of journalism, John is an advocate for health education and frequently speaks at community events.