Our body is our capital, allowing us to work every day, which means our health is our primary responsibility. Simultaneously, it’s also our responsibility to be in charge of our finances. Different as it may seem, but our wellness and finances come hand in hand. Why so? Our finances pay up if our bodies cannot take it any longer. That’s why it pays to be thrifty and smart when it comes to our medical expenses.
Some individuals are signed up with different medical insurances to cover emergency medical expenses, such as buying prescription medication. Unfortunately, not all of us are given that privilege. Some of us are trying to get and live by. However, don’t be taken aback by this situation. There are certainly ways that can help you reduce your expenses in buying your prescribed medication.
We have listed down five helpful ways to get the best price for your medication. This way, you can efficiently sort out your finances while not hampering your health.
1. Call Your Local Pharmacy for an Alternative
There’s no other place to call than your local pharmacy to ask for another option or alternative if you find your prescribed medication too expensive. You can always talk to your pharmacist and ask for a cheaper alternative.
Trust them that they will provide information regarding your medication. Also, they can talk to your physician and recommend a better and less expensive medication for you. That way, your physician can prescribe a drug that can cost you less.
2. Choose Generic, When Possible
The U.S. FDA (United States Food and Drug Association) requires generic drugs to contain the same amount of active ingredient that a brand-name drug has. In short, a generic brand and a brand-name drug are just similar to each other. However, they differ in how popular the manufacturing pharmaceutical company is.
So, whenever possible, buy generic medicine if your original prescription is a brand-name drug. However, sometimes, it can’t be possible as some prescribed medication cannot be replaced with generic brands. The pharmacist can only fill your prescription with a generic brand as long as your physician’s note advises it. But if they do not, you need to request another prescription, if that’s possible.
3. Bring Discount Coupons
Prescription discount coupons are getting popular with many consumers, especially those who are thrifty with their money. These discount coupons can be found anywhere, whether online or distributed by the local pharmacies. If you want to maximize and save your money, bringing in a discount coupon the next time you visit the pharmacy is a good idea.
When you buy Belviq Xr, for instance, you can check online for a website that provides discount coupons or install applications that can give you one. There are many sites and applications for comparing various medicines’ prices that you can choose from, and all of them offer discount coupons to save you money on your drug purchase.
Discount coupons are everywhere, so don’t hesitate or be shy in presenting them. It pays to be thrifty and smart nowadays.
4. Shop Around
We know that shopping around can be exhausting and it requires a lot of legwork, especially for someone with an existing medical condition. But you can do so and still be able to look for the cheapest medicine without doing the legwork with the help of prescription drug search apps.
Drug search apps are popular nowadays, thanks to the big pharmaceuticals’ initiative to give their consumers convenience. These apps are developed to search multiple pharmacies around your location and simultaneously compare prices so that you can pick the one that fits your budget.
Medication prices vary from one pharmacy to another, and your local pharmacy might not be the cheapest pharmacy there is. By utilizing the said apps, you can conveniently search, compare, and buy the cheapest medication without the hard work.
5. Confide with your doctor
Talking with your physician is one of the best things you can do to know how you can save money on your medication. Medication price rapidly changes, and your physician, just like you, can’t keep up. However, if money is causing you to skip on medication, it’s better to talk things out with your physician.
They can advise you to take generic brands, prescribe a similar drug with the same effects, and in the same class as your mediation, or they can prescribe an entirely different drug. Talking things out with your physician can lead to a solution. So, never hesitate to open up with them, especially when finances get in the way of your health.
Takeaway
Saving money on medication has been a long practice for many Americans, especially since prescription medicines come at a high price. However, we can’t put our health in jeopardy and take non-prescribed medicines.
Fortunately, there are multiple ways of saving money when buying the prescribed medications. You can try these options and determine which one works for you the best. You can always save money without hampering your health. It only takes little research and proven advice from individuals with the same dilemma.