Microsoft word - top 17 ways to cut drug costs report 8x11.doc

There are five free discount cards for Senior
citizens. They cover over 200 popular
medications. Savings on average 20-40%
Top 17 Ways to Cut Your
GlaxoSmithKline’s The Orange Card
Prescription Drug Costs
(888) 672-6436
Covers all GSK’s drugs. Must have an annual income below $30,000 per individual or $40,000 per couple 30% average savings at participating 1. You May Qualify for a Free Drug program.
• There are over 1,400 drugs that are made by Eli Lilly’s LillyAnswers Card
(877) 795-4559
provide free medications, but rarely, if ever Covers all Lilly’s drugs except controlled publicize their programs. An estimated two substances. Must have an annual income below billion dollars of free medication is given $18,000 per individual or $24,000 per couple. $12 Co-pay per prescription for 30-day supply. • Larry’s father has prostate cancer and takes Novartis’ CareCard
Casodex every day, which costs $300 a month in the US, and $180 from Mexico. (866) 974-2273
He sent his father’s information to see if he qualified. He recently found out his father Tier 1 must have an annual income below $18,000 per individual or $24,000 per couple. did qualify to receive the drug free. Larry
$12 Co-pay per prescription for 30-day supply. just happened to see a small article buried inside the newspaper. He never knew these $26,000 per individual or $35,000 per couple. • A complete list of drugs and manufacturers’ programs is available. You can receive a Pfizer’s The Share Card
(800) 717-6005
printing, postage and handling to: Institute Covers all Pfizer’s drugs. Must have an annual $15 Co-pay per prescription for 30-day supply.
2. Get a Pharmacy Discount Card for Free.

Together Rx Card (800) 865-7211
AdvanceRx offers a free discount card to anyone any age that saves 13%-25% and
manufacturers. Must have an annual income covers all drugs dispensed at a pharmacy. For below $28,000 per individual or $38,000 per 3. Save Up to 93% by Asking for a Generic
5. Cut Your Costs in Half… by Using a Pill Splitter
• Most pharmacies should stock pill splitters. • Lipitor is essentially the same price for all strengths. It is possible to save as much as For You, cost savings on brand name
$100 on a one month supply of Lipitor just by getting the larger strength and cutting in can be significant. For instance:
• This method may not be appropriate for all medications and could be dangerous if used • Begin by asking your doctor or pharmacist if • Vasotec brand 5mg, 100 tablets costs your medication is available in a dose double your normal dosage (ex, if you usually take a 20 mg. pill, is a 40 mg. pill available?). If it is, ask whether there would be any problems • Zantac brand 150mg 100 tablets costs • Do a cost comparison between the two dosages. If the higher dose is less than • Zestril brand 10mg 100 tablets costs double the cost for your regular dose then doctor prescribe the higher dose and then splitting it.
4. Veterans Now Qualify for More Benefits.
• Cost savings is typically 32% to 50%.
• Viagra is another medication that lends itself to being split in half or quarters to save 50% illnesses like diabetes and hypertension, to 75% depending upon the dosage required. provided the veteran is subject to qualifying The average Viagra user who uses two doses per week can save over $400.00 per year. For information about a specially designed • See if you qualify for benefits by checking • This method is not appropriate for all A great generic broad-spectrum antibiotic medications. Check with your pharmacist. costs 80% less than a new antibiotic. In dollars, it costs you $20 instead of $100. Ambien, Aricept, Buspar, Effexor, Lipitor, Luvox, Paxil, Remeron, Risperidal, 8. Over-the-Counter Drugs May be as Effective
Seroquel, Serzone, Viagra, Zoloft, Zyprexa as the Prescription Drug.
• Many doctors still prescribe Pepcid 20mg to 6. Save by Buying a 90 vs. 30-Day Supply.
their patients. A one-month supply of Pepcid 20mg cost approximately $60. Pepcid AC, • Most pharmacies have higher savings on a over-the-counter in 10mg strength, taking longer days supply. In addition, when it double the dose costs approximately $23. prescription coverage, there may be other • Most prescription cold medications average • For instance, if you have a $10 co-pay, the available over-the-counter for less than $2. insurance company will let you get only a 30 days supply in general for that $10. A 90-day 9. Get Only a 7-day Supply of New Medication.
supply bought with out insurance may only cost you $18. • If the doctor does not have samples, ask your • This would be much cheaper than paying supply to try. It is a federal law that medicines $10 per month ($30 for 90 days). It would can’t be returned once they are dispensed. If also save you two trips to the pharmacy. you get a month's supply and can’t tolerate the medicine, you have just lost that money. 7. Ask for an Older Medication That is as
Effective.
10. Stop Using Drugs You No Longer Need.
• Many pharmacists agree, that antibiotics are • Review all your prescriptions with your doctor at each visit. You may be paying for incorrectly prescribed medications. Often, antibiotic that has been promoted as more • Doctor run www.rxaminer.com provides a effective. What this really means is that it is custom analysis of your medications to save obligation, Cost Screening to find out how • The newer antibiotics are often no more effective than the older antibiotics. However, • Also ask your pharmacist to review your protection. Therefore, the newer medication medications in addition to your doctor. Here is more effective in ensuring a nice profit for is why. A pharmacist's valuable services and • Since many generics are made in the same factory as the brand name ones, make sure • A lady developed a persistent cough after you ask your doctor for a generic antibiotic. medication for approximately 3 months. Her order you more medicine than is necessary to doctor treated her cough with antibiotics and cough syrup for 6 months. She asked her pharmacist about her cough lasting so long. 13. Ask Your Doctor for Samples at Every visit.
The pharmacist found that a possible side They Usually Have Plenty.
effect of her new blood pressure medication was a persistent cough. Her doctor argued but changed her medicine and her cough stopped. 14. Take Only Those Drugs You Really Need.
The lady had spent over $750 in doctor’s fees and medication just to treat the cough. • When your doctor prescribes medication for you, understand exactly what it's meant to do • A mother was giving her daughter antibiotics and for how long. If you are prescribed two to treat a kidney infection. Her daughter consistently had a fever. This continued for several months. The baby’s pediatrician prescribed several antibiotics unsuccessfully. 15. Buy Home Test Kits.
After searching the literature, the pharmacist discovered that the antibiotic had a side • Kits for determining ovulation, pregnancy effect of persistent low-grade fever. In the and colorectal cancer, can be purchased as home tests instead of paying twice as much for similar kits at your doctor's office. • Don't hesitate to ask your pharmacist 16. Cross the Border.
questions, their advice is free and can often save you money and aggravation. Ask • If you live close to either Canada or Mexico, 11. Order Your Prescription Drugs by Phone.
17. AARP Members are Eligible for Many
Discounts, Including Mail-Order Pharmacy
Discounts.
prescription drugs over the phone. Bonus, If you have questions about these tips or
• Make a list of your medications, including your medication ask your doctor and
strength and number taken daily. Then list at pharmacist.
least six pharmacies you are going to call. Don’t forget about discount mail order sources too, several are listed on pages 45- Permission is granted to freely reproduce 46. Then call and get prices, ask if this is in whole or in part, printed or electronic, their best price available. Compare the costs. 12. Pay Attention to the Quantity.
• Find out how much medication you really may need, and make sure your doctor doesn't

Source: http://amyloidosis.org/pdf/17_ways_to_cut_prescription_drug_costs.pdf