Many people need their prescription medications to function normally in society. For others who are more unfortunate, they need their prescription meds to be able to live longer. No matter the reason, accessing your prescription medication is a luxury not everyone can have. Not all of us can afford our prescriptions because of the rising prices in the market nowadays.
Inflation or not, it’s not a mystery that more and more people are opting out of buying their medications due to the rising prices, which can be life-threatening in some cases. Luckily for us, there are plenty of ways that we can buy our prescription medications without breaking the bank. Here are some of them.
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Check If Your Prescription Medication is in the Insurance Formulary
Of course, when it comes to medication, you should check if your insurance can cover it for you. Medical insurance policies usually have a formulary and an extensive list of drugs and medicines the insurance policy is willing to cover. If your medicine is on the list, you can go to your pharmacy and have your insurance pay for it or copay it for you.
You can also talk to your doctor about it, as they can also give you alternative medication that they can see in the formulary. This way, you don’t have to worry about being unable to afford your prescription. Just make sure you read your insurance policy and how they deal with prescription medicine first.
Use Preferred Pharmacies
If you have the time, you should check your insurance plan about their preferred pharmacies. Some preferred pharmacies are inside big superstores like Walmart, Publix, Krogers, Albertsons, and Target. Insurance companies often negotiate medicine prices for their policyholders, so the medicines are much cheaper if you buy them from preferred pharmacies.
Ask Your Doctor for Generics
Usually, doctors prescribe your name-brand medicines because they are deemed more effective. While that isn’t necessarily true, you can talk to your doctor about your budget and ask them if they know the generic name for the medicine they prescribe. Most of the time, your doctor would happily tell you so. Generics are much less expensive than name-brands for an average of 85%. Your doctor could even give you some drug samples if they have some in store.
Search for Promotions
Getting a discount for name-brand medicines is trickier than getting ones for generics. However, knowing what you’re looking for is still possible. What you’re looking for are discount or assistance programs for patients in online pharmacies. However, note that these programs are mostly available just for insurance holders.
If they are running promotions, you can check if your prescribed medicine is on their list. You can also check their site and see if they have Prescription Savings FAQs to know about the requirements of their programs.
Buy from the Insurer
Some insurers sell medication, and usually, they are much cheaper than the ones you can buy from their preferred pharmacies. However, their list of medications is typically limited, so you should always check if your prescription medication is on their list. However, it’s different for government insurance since their list is much more vast. You can opt for them if you have Medicaid, Medicare, and other state-funded medical insurance programs.
Buy your Prescription Medication in Bulk
If you have the money, you can buy it in bulk, usually for 90 days. This is especially true for policyholders since the savings can be much bigger for buying in bulk. Many chain pharmacies also allow for 90-day supplies with big discounts. You can even go beyond and opt to buy for a yearly supply if your budget allows it.
Keep in mind, however, that you can’t return unused drugs. You can also talk to your doctor about it, especially if you’re recovering because there might be a chance that they will lower your dosage shortly because you’re getting better.
Shop Online
When it comes to prices, no place is more competitive than online. There are tons of online pharmacies on the Internet, and they are vying to be the Internet’s go-to pharmacy online.
Hence, they are trying to one-up one another through lower prices on medicine and other types of promotions. If you’re trying to save a lot on your prescription medications, going online is the key. They even give promotion codes occasionally if you subscribe to their newsletter. Your doctor can even recommend one if you talk to them about it.
Final Words
Having access to your prescription medication is a luxury not everyone can have. This problem is mostly due to financing, especially since most medications are rising in price nowadays due to inflation. If you’re looking for ways to save on your prescription medicine, you might want to follow our tips to save on them. You never know; these tips might be the ones to save your life or your loved one’s.
