Ways to Save on Medication Cost
- With a few exceptions ask your physician to specify that generic drugs are OK. The exceptions are few and only apply if you are already on a trade name product with a narrow therapeutic index - Coumadin and possibly Digoxin are among the few in this category.
- Ask your pharmacist if you received the generic product - many times if a pharmacist does not have the generic drug they will give you a trade name product instead of sending you to another pharmacy which has a generic available.
- There are frequently differences among meds in same therapeutic category i.e 30 days of Prilosec (for reflux gastritis) the Average Wholesale Price is $119.57/20 mg caps while Prevacid which does the same thing is $112.03/30 days. Ask your pharmacist if there is a less expensive drug in that works the same way as the one you are taking.
- Many drugs do not increase proportionally in price as the strength increases. Example: Mevacor (a drug for elevated cholesterol) - the Average Wholesale Price is $82.32 for 60-10 mg tablets while for 60 - 20 mg tablets the cost is $145. Thus if you are taking 10 mg each day you can save by using the 20 mg tablets and cutting in half - this is a very common way you can save medication costs. If you want to do this please:
- Check with your pharmacist to be sure cutting in half will not impact on release properties of medication.
- Let your physician know that you are cutting the tablet so he can adjust his/her records accordingly.
- Purchase a tablet cutter from your pharmacy (at a cost of $3-$4).
- Replace your tablet cutter as it dulls because of use.
- If you are on medication that you refill regularly -always ask the pharmacist to give you the maximum amount allowed by your prescription up to 100. Most, if not all, pharmacies charge more for 30 tablets than for 100 AND by returning every 30 days you pay an additional dispensing fee each time (not including gas, waiting in line etc.).
- Significant Generic Additions:
| Trade Name | Generic |
| Vasotec | Enalapril |
| Mevacor | Lovastatin |
| Prozac | Fluoxetine |
| Cardura | Doxazosin |
| Hytrin | Terazosin |
| Procardia | Nifedipine |
| Cardizem | Diltiazem |
| Retin-A | Tretinoin |
| Glucophage | Metformin |
| Zanaflex | Tizanidine |
Please E-Mail me if you know of other ways to reduce drug costs not listed here - not to include offshore pharmacies which I am not in favor of!!
-Andrew Canada, Pharm.D.