Save on Medications

In this article today I would like to talk about several tips, tricks, and techniques that just about anybody can use to dramatically cut costs and save a ton of money on their medications.

Times are tough for many of us. The recession that began towards the end of 2008 and has continued on well into 2010 is making things difficult for many people and in no other fashion is this becoming more evident than in medication costs. However you feel about the current debate on health care that is raging in Congress, one thing is for sure… medical costs are getting out of control and many of us are finding it hard to cope.

Luckily there are several things that you can do on your own to help lower your medication costs and that’s what I’m going to talk about in this article today.

No, you aren’t losing your mind… medication prices really are shooting through the roof, sometimes greater than the rate of inflation. So what can you do to keep those costs down?

The first thing you can do is to request generic medications. Generics can cost sometimes between 70% and 80% less than the brand name pill that they replace. The fact of the matter is that many doctors are sort of hesitant to prescribe some generic drugs because doctors are people too and people tend to think that cheaper things are less effective. Luckily this is not the case when it comes to generic drugs because by law they must have the same active ingredients as their brand named counterpart.

Generics may not work in every circumstance so be sure to discuss it thoroughly with your doctor… but be sure to push for generics whenever possible.

The next thing you can do is look for mail-order pharmacies. I’m not talking about Internet pharmacies in different countries that offer low-cost drugs, I’m talking about US pharmacies that sell via mail-order. Many of these mail-order companies offer dramatic discounts on certain drugs so be sure to check with them first.

If you do find a mail-order company offering a specific drug that you need at a discount, bring the catalog to your regular pharmacy and ask them to beat that offer. You may be surprised that many of them will match or beat the price in order to keep your business.

Finally, consider over-the-counter drugs. Many prescription drugs have over-the-counter counterparts that are available in lower doses. This difference in doses can be made up by taking several pills at once. Be sure to only do this under the strict supervision of your doctor.

So there you have several very simple tips and tricks that anybody can use to save a bundle on medication costs. No matter what happens with the health care debate in Congress, one thing is for sure… at the end of the day only you can be responsible for yourself and hopefully these tips will help you to reduce your costs on medications no matter what happens in Washington.

Author: Rick Brunting
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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