More Affordable Prescription Drugs

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More Affordable Prescription Drugs

Submitted by: anonymous 01/04/2009 7:36 PM

1. Always buy generic if you can. They're always cheaper, and some chain stores now offer generics for a flat $4.

2. Shop around! The price of prescription drugs varies widely from store to store. The stores you might think are more expensive, small neighborhood pharmacies, often charge less than the big chain stores. The best price usually is Costco. (Because of Federal pharmacy regulations you do not have to be a member of Costco to use their pharmacy. Just say "Pharmacy" to the greeter at the door.) Before you go, go to their website, look up your meds to compare their price to what you're paying now.

3. Another money-saving tip is: ask your doctor to prescribe fewer pills at double the dose you need. When you get home cut the pills in half.

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Comments:

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Wow. Had no idea that you could take advantage of the Costco pharmacy without haveing a Costco card. thanks for the heads up.

Posted by frank on January 06, 2009 4:20 PM

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I have been telling this to patients for a long time. Also, doctors have coupons/vouchers for name brand meds. You have to ask the nurse for them. Alot of doctors offices have samples on hand and would be willing to give a few days supply to get a person until pay day. Name brand coupons/vouchers somtimes can ge obtained at xxxx.com (ie: viagra.com, lunesta.com, advair.com)

Posted by intensitti on January 09, 2009 5:02 PM

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I have split heartworm pills for my dogs- not Heartguard but Interceptor. So instead of getting the pills for 0-11 lbs for my little dachshunds, I get 11-24 lbs and split them. You would have to pay @ $17. for a 6 month supply for 0-11 lbs but for @ $24. for a 6 mo supply for 2 11lb or under dogs.

Posted by mmkeshlear on January 09, 2009 10:41 PM

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Fewer pills at double the dose?? then cut in half..... hummm ... the math says no gain if doc gives half then double by cutting. equals the same

Posted by Ron on January 10, 2009 8:30 AM

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I just recently switched to the Wal-Mart $4 prescriptions and you don't actually save a whole lot of money & remember these are generics only...if you take 2 pills per DAY, your prescription will be $8, if you take 3 pills per DAY, it will be $12, etc. Luckily my insurance co-pay is only $8 for generics so I almost always pay the whole co-pay anyway! The stress of the longer waiting lines and the fact that I have yet to pick up a prescription where SOMETHING is incorrect or not done yet is not worth the savings I've had yet (3 months, 3 family members taking daily meds) and I've only saved maybe $8 and this is with getting 3 month supplies on most of them so those are 3 months/$10. Nice, but not what I expected considering most of our meds are on their $4 generic list. Be sure to calculate your own savings to determine if you'll actually be saving anything.

Posted by anonymous on January 10, 2009 10:32 AM

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In our area all the grocery stores along with Target is offering the $4.00 or $10.00 (90 day supply).

I went to Costco and found that they are no cheaper than Target and you get better service. Wal-Mart was the worst, they never had all the medications needed to fill the perscription and had to keep going back. Went there with 4 perscriptions and had to make 3 different trips. Costco service was terrible. Long lines and after getting up to the window told they were closing for lunch for 1 1/2 hrs. Come back and stand on line. When told it was inconvenient they told me to go to a less popular pharmacy.

Well I did and found no difference in prices totally at Target. One might be $1 more and the others $1 less. Averaged out the same. Why put up with terrible service and long lines? Sam's was better than Costco and very pleasant.

Most pharmacies are very competitive so we use out perscription card for the non-generatic and Target for the $10.00. Target also every few weeks has a $10 gift card for filling out a new perscription. I sometimes can use it as it is good for a few weeeks.

Posted by Jodi Castiglione on January 12, 2009 12:37 PM

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Walmart pharmacy is definitely not worth it in my area. They'll say a prescription will take one hour, and 3 hours later it's still not ready. As for me, I'll stick with my local Target pharmacy.

There are only 3 pharmacists that rotate their schedules. They have gotten to know my family well, and now have saved me countless dollars by suggesting other brands of the same medicines, or generics with the same ingredients but that go by different names. They save me almost $100 a month on the allergy medicine my children take by asking me if they could take pills rather than the liquid the doctor originally prescribed. The pills came in generic; the liquid didn't.

Stick with one pharmacy and get to know your pharmacists. That's the best way to save money and avoid deadly medicine interactions.

Posted by JC on January 13, 2009 9:27 AM

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Attn: Ron, cutting your pills in half can help you save, but not always, best to check prices with your pharmacist. but sometimes a prescription for (20) 800mg of a drug and one for (20)400mg of that same drug is the same price, in that case buying the 800mg dose would get 40 pills.

Posted by anonymous on January 14, 2009 12:54 PM

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Of course Wal-Mart (and other pharmacies) keep you waiting. What do you do while you're waiting? SHOP! You SPEND MONEY in their store!! The longer you wait, the odds are, the more you'll spend. The "how-we're-going-to-make-more-money department" isn't stupid!

Posted by LR on January 17, 2009 2:12 PM

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Att: Anonymous,

You are correct related to pricing but sometimes the pills aren't scored which means someone may not be receiving the correct dosage when splitting. Also some pills such as extended release or capsules should never be split. When in doubt ask the pharmacist, they know pharmacokinetics, which is how any drug interacts with the human body.

Posted by anonymous on January 28, 2009 4:50 PM

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I take many different meds and after my dr. asked me if he could prescribe a double-strength tablet so I'd get twice as many if I'd be willing to buy pill splitter and split them, I didn't hesitate a second! I'm in a rural area and have been seen at this same clinic for 10 years. When they have switched me to a different med or given me a new one, they will very often give me samples to try before writing the new script. Sometimes they forget to offer that to me, I will ask for it and they have always gone to check the "sample closet" (their term not mine) to see what they have on hand. I believe that if my dr. truly has my interest at heart, he will do this type of thing for me and all his patients, regardless of age and economic status. It just makes for good practice of medicine.

Posted by Pinky212 on February 12, 2009 9:32 PM

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