Many families who are either uninsured or under-insured face high prescription drug costs. With so many uninsured and under-insured people in the United States and the high cost of prescription drugs, you hear stories about people who have to make a decision about whether to pay for their groceries or their prescription medications. You also hear of people who cut their pills in half because they cannot afford their medications. Unfortunately, patients taking multiple medications or receiving treatment for conditions like Cancer, HIV-AIDS, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and other serious illnesses may face hundreds and even thousands of dollars in prescription costs each month.
Patient Assistance Programs also known as prescription advocacy programs have been in the media recently. These programs are offered by the pharmaceutical industry to assist low income people who do not have prescription drug coverage. These programs have been in existence for the past 15-20 years; however, few people know about them. To qualify you must meet certain income requirements-generally 2 times the Federal poverty level with certain allowances for hardship cases. For more information begin your search by entering "prescription advocacy programs" or "patient assistance programs" into an internet search engine.
What if you do not qualify for a patient assistance program? How can you save money on your medications?
One thing that you can do is ask your healthcare provider to prescribe the generic version of the more expensive brand name medication. Most generic drugs are cheaper than their brand name equivalents. Both generic and brand name medications must meet the FDA's rigorous standards, so consumers can be confident that there is no discernible difference between generic and brand name drugs. According to Gary J. Buehler, Director of the Office of Generic Drugs for the FDA: "The American public can be confident that when a generic drug product is approved, it has met the rigorous standards established by the FDA with respect to identity, strength, quality, purity, and potency."
Avoid taking a new and more expensive brand name medication when an older drug is available and is equally effective. In some cases, generic drugs may prove to be safer than brand name medications. Most generic drugs have been on the market for several years, so potential side effects and problems are better known than with newer drugs. The site worstpills.org reports that there have been many more incidences of health problems associated with brand-name drugs than with the older generic drugs. Worstpills.org recommends that consumers stay away from newly launched drugs for several years to avoid this situation. For example there have been many reported serious side effects for the type 2 diabetes drug Avandia. The older drug, Glucotrol, provides equally effective blood glucose control without the serious and possibly deadly side effects of Avandia.
Do some comparison shopping. Consumers can cut their prescription drug costs by doing some comparison shopping both locally and online. Compare prices at local pharmacies, supermarkets and department stores. Also, compare different online sources as well. A study by the National Center for Policy Analysis reveals that price comparison shopping can reduce prescription costs for some common drugs up to 90%.
Consider enrolling in a discount health plan with a prescription discount card. Even if you have medical insurance, you may not have adequate prescription drug coverage. Most discount health benefit companies offer programs which include an Rx benefit. You can save up to 50% or more on your prescriptions with even larger discounts available on mail order maintenance medications.
By: Helene L Zemel
