Tips for Saving on Prescriptions/Medications?

**wondergirl** · 03-20-2008, 01:24 AM

I hope this hasn't already been posted, as I'm a newbie...

Some tips for saving on Prescriptions:
1. Use coupons/store bonus programs
Lots of stores offer coupons for gift cards with prescription transfers. Look in the Sunday papers for gift card coupons for anywhere from $10 - $30 for transferring a prescription. I've transferred some back and forth between pharmacies every month and saved a lot of $! Some participating stores are Target, CVS, and Rite Aid. Most also honor competitor coupons.

Some stores are offering alternate bonus programs to discourage us from transferring often. A local grocery chain here in the Pacific Northwest (QFC) offers a card that you can have stamped whenever you fill a prescription. When you fill a certain number you get a gift card for immediate use in the store.

2. CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR OR PHARMACIST FIRST, BUT...
Some prescription meds are priced by the pill, no matter what the dosage is. For example, my migraine meds are only a few dollars more expensive for a months worth of 100mg pills than for 50mg pills. My doctor said it is safe to cut the 100mg pills in 1/2 since my dosage is for 50mg. I use a pill splitter that cost a few dollars. This saves me a ton on prescriptions! Also, for capsules you can buy empty capsules in the health food store (you can get several hundred for around $5) and split your capsules into smaller doses using the empties. (you can do this by hand or using a very small funnel). Again YOU MUST CHECK WITH DR OR PHARMACIST TO MAKE SURE THIS IS SAFE FOR YOUR MEDS and if it is you can ask the doctor to give you a prescription for a higher milligram dose.

Any other tips for saving on medications or prescriptions?

**mombottoo** · 03-20-2008, 09:58 AM

Some scripts are also cheaper in larger quantities. I get a medication I have to take every day 100 pills at a time, cuts the cost by 25%.

I want to point out that the suggestion to split capsules is not safe to do...it is one thing to split a tablet, entirely another to split powders especially if they are time released or extended release meds.

**M55FF** · 03-20-2008, 10:08 AM

stay healthy, lose weight if you have to, eat right and learn to avoid doctors... if you go enough they will find something wrong with you.. or even invent a mystery diagnosis...
because they don't work for free.

$$$

**powerfm1** · 03-20-2008, 10:20 AM

You can also ask your doctor if a cheaper medication could be substituted. Often times they know one.

**PrairieRose** · 03-20-2008, 10:31 AM

Also always ask for generics. Walmart has a huge list of $4 generics and I would suspect that lots of higher priced meds could be replaced by one of those that do almost *exactly* the same thing. For example take Nexium. Gripey had an Rx of that recently. We got it filled and with an insurance *discount* of $34.95 we still paid $149. for a 30 day supply. Prilosec OTC is the same thing as Nexium in fact was the original of the med but the patent has run out on it...so now they offer it over the counter and there are generic brands of it. Nexium is a *teensy* bit stronger (just enough to change the recipe enough to patent it) and my dr. says it works just the same. Hhhmmmm wonder why he didn't tell me that till I asked....???

**kellydoeshair** · 03-20-2008, 03:41 PM

i've been using Krogers they have a HUGE list of $4 scrips it's been amazing how much we saved
even the generics elsewhere were $30/ month
the savings are OUTRAGEOUS

**wondergirl** · 03-20-2008, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by mombottoo

Some scripts are also cheaper in larger quantities. I get a medication I have to take every day 100 pills at a time, cuts the cost by 25%.

I want to point out that the suggestion to split capsules is not safe to do...it is one thing to split a tablet, entirely another to split powders especially if they are time released or extended release meds.

With the capsules it depends on the specific medicine. My doctor gave me permission to split a particular medication that I take in capsule form (which is a time released med), but said some others are not safe/effective if split (also depends on how exact of a dosage the medication requires). So just to emphasize - ALWAYS ask your doctor and pharmacist for advice/permission before splitting any medication.

One other tip that I thought of, many Costco warehouse stores have pharmacies and you do not need a Costco membership to fill prescriptions at the pharmacy. Their prices are often quite a bit lower, especially on medications that are not yet available as a generic.

**PoorRichardsGirl** · 03-21-2008, 09:43 AM

Target also has a lot of $4 generics available.

If you're in NJ, check this out--NJ Prescription Drug Price Registry You can check a drug name and see which pharmacy in your area is selling it cheapest. The variation in prices is astounding. You might be able to save a lot of money by getting one prescription at Target and another one at Rite Aid, for example.

Also, see the links on this page, particularly RX Assist and RX Hope.

**brainyblonde** · 03-21-2008, 09:54 AM

If you take generic maintenance meds, check drugstore.com. I have paid about $16.00 for 200 HCTZ pills (almost a 7 month supply) by paying outright (no insurance). My doctor has no problem writing the script or authorizing it to be filled all at one time because it saves me money.

**cab54** · 03-21-2008, 10:06 AM

M55FF---

Scary the way we nurses are more cynical about medicine and doctors than 'lay people'.

PrairieRose----I agree about Walmart. We were having our prescriptions filled at a neighborhood grocery pharmacy before(I'm only on one, dh is on 7! He is not well) and it was over $300 a month even with our co-pay!!!!!

We went to WM strictly to be able to fill our RX's when we travel or go to our cabin up north, (being nation-wide) and were astounded! Between the $4 RX's and the lower cost at WM of many of dh's meds, we now pay $127 a month. I kid you not. My only RX 'alone' was $94 and is now $4.

They're worth looking into, IMO.

**karone** · 03-22-2008, 12:51 AM

after i was discharged from having merrick my mom and i didnt fill my scripts b/c we could get the otc stuff cheaper. for the motrin i took 4 of them to equal the amount of my script, saved even more since i had a natural birth and was in hardly to no pain at all. we filled out my birth control patch after i went for my postnatal checkup and i used that until i heard about women dying from it. so after we have another baby im going to go with the copper iud. my mom is a nurse btw.

**Lambie** · 03-22-2008, 09:44 AM

The $4.00 scripts are great!! When the script is for something not on the list however, we call Canadian Pharmacy!! For example, one of my scripts would be about $159.00 per month here, up there it is $75.00 per month. My doctor just faxes a script up and they ship it to me...I pay a flat fee of $20.00 for the year and my dh and I etc. can have free shipping for the rest of the year. If you pay $50.00 up front, you get life time free shipping on the scripts!! We've been using this option for years now with super results. Hope this helps, Katy