It is known that prescription medicines are expensive, which is just one of many consumers’ growing problems, especially those who need frequent medication intake. Some individuals find it challenging to maintain their medication and, unfortunately, stop taking them without their physician’s recommendation.
It is a growing concern since not taking prescription medication can have long-term health consequences. Yes, it might be an instant solution to finances, but it might lead to more medical expenses in the future. What are the remedies or steps that can help lower down the cost of prescription drugs?
Here are the five practical ways you can do to solve this problem.
Contents
1. Talk to Your Doctor
Source: Vaaju
The very first thing that you should need to do is to talk to your attending physician. You can always open the subject that you’re having difficulty keeping up with your medication due to it being expensive. Drug prices change rapidly. Now, it’s still affordable, the next time around, it spiked, causing a budget dent. Unfortunately, doctors are not fully aware of it, and they can’t keep up with these fast-paced price changes.
The best way is to open your concern with your medication and ask if there’s an alternative that they can refer to. Some physicians advise their patients with branded drugs, which means they are expensive. If possible, you can suggest if there’s an available generic for it as a replacement. If there is, you still need to contact your local pharmacist about it.
2. Ask Your Local Pharmacist For An Alternative
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You see, doctors and pharmacists work hand in hand to assist every individual in their medication. Sometimes, you can ask your local pharmacist first for an alternative to your medication. If the local pharmacist found one, they can’t automatically dispose of the drug to you as they need to confirm it to your physician.
In other cases, you can contact your physician first before referring to the drug alternative to the pharmacy. It’s the reason why we have indicated at the first item that talking to your doctor is the best first thing to do.
3. Be Resourceful and Creative
Source: AllOne Health
This is typically a life skill that every thrifty individual should possess. It would help if you were a little resourceful when you want to cut down your prescription drug expenses. Resourceful means to check different local pharmacies near you for the best and lowest price for your medication. And we’re not talking that you run around the town to do the errand but instead use the smartphone app to do the task.
Many smartphone apps let you check your prescription drug across many local pharmacists around your vicinity. The app will show you price comparison and drug availability in an instant. So better take advantage of the convenience these apps offer.
On the other hand, you need to be a little creative.
Creative means you have known the basic and common tricks like buying a fewer higher-dose pill and take them less frequently or take them twice in a day by splitting them, rather than buying many lower-dose pills and take them more frequently. You can also convert a capsule drug into a liquid form or the other way around, whatever that works and is available. You can ask your local pharmacy for this or talk to your doctor if it’s possible.
However, though, we would like to emphasize that going overboard in being creative needs to be toned down a bit. According to the FDA, not all prescription drugs are advisable for splitting, such as capsule, hardshell drugs, or sustained and time-release medication. You can tell if the drug is ok for splitting is when it does have a line in the middle. But before doing so, talk to your physician regarding drug splitting before taking any course of action.
4. Coupons Are Savior
Source: USC Schaeffer Center
Please don’t underestimate the power of prescription drug coupons, as they can be your lifesaver when you’re having a challenging financial period. Many local pharmacies offer coupons, and most of them are now available online, you can click here to access some of them. Sometimes, coupons can be used together with your medical insurance, saving you a lot of money during the purchase. However, some medical insurance does not allow you to use both, so better check it in advance and compare which of the two can save you more significant money.
5. Check Your Insurance Coverage
Source: Fertility Center of Dallas
Medical insurance coverage gets updated frequently, so it’s better to check it as frequently as you can, especially if you’re in a term to take regular medication. Also, only apply for insurance coverage that can significantly help you with your medication the most, and lastly, avail yourself of insurance coverage that you can afford.
Medical insurance is expensive as well, so be careful in comparing plans during the enrolment period. Insurance plans likely change annually, so we take note of it. And make sure to read all the fine print before signing one.
Takeaway
Prescription drugs are expensive, and we are already well-aware of that. But with the personal sense in taking care of our health seriously, expensive prescription drugs became a problem, which leads to abruptly stopping in taking them. However, amidst this serious concern, some ways can help every individual resolve the issue. There are effective ways that can be done to cut down the cost of each prescription drug and make it more affordable to every consumer. You can see for yourself which of these will work out for you the best.
