There are worse things in life than having to take prescription medications on a daily basis. Still, if you are among the millions who rely on regular medication, you know that getting your prescriptions filled can be both inconvenient and costly. It is just the way the system works.
While there are things you can do to make filling your prescriptions more convenient, this post will focus on cost. It will discuss three easy and simple hacks anyone can employ to reduce their total prescription spend. Only the third requires direct participation from a medical provider.
1. Use Coupon Programs
The first hack makes use of coupon programs. There are not many out there, but the ones that do exist are generally available nationwide. Program operators have websites you can visit to get coupons and pricing on all the most commonly prescribed medications.
Getting a good deal is pretty simple. You visit a site like GoodRx, find the medication you need, and type in your ZIP Code. The website compares the pricing at all the participating pharmacies in your area. You select the pharmacy with the best price. You then take the GoodRx coupon to that pharmacy for a discount at the register.
Coupon programs work when operators strike deals with pharmacies to offer lower pricing. Pharmacies are more than happy to get on board because coupons increase sales. It is a win-win for everyone involved.
2. Use a Canadian Pharmacy
In recent years, Canadian pharmacies have been authorized to sell prescription medications to US customers. Most of them do so online. Take Canada Pharmacy, for example. They are a web-based company operated by a brick-and-mortar dispensing pharmacy in Manitoba. They offer pricing that is, in most cases, many times lower than domestic pharmacies.
The thing you have to be careful of is choosing the right online pharmacy. You should never buy prescription medications from an organization that doesn’t require you to provide a legitimate prescription. It is also best to avoid Canadian pharmacies whose licensing and accreditation cannot be easily verified.
Also be aware that online pharmacies do not have access to every prescription medication under the sun. They are limited by market forces and government regulations. If a Canadian pharmacy does have the medication you need, you are likely to save at least something.
3. Split Your Pills in Half
This last hack should only be done under the supervision of a medical provider. What is this hack? Splitting your pills in half. It is becoming a more common practice for certain types of medications as a way of reducing overall drug costs.
Not every prescription medication can be safely split. This is why it’s important to consult with your doctor or pharmacist before going this route. A medical provider is not likely to cooperate if you are looking to split chemotherapy drugs, blood pressure medication, anti-seizure medication, and a few other types of drugs.
A cooperative doctor or pharmacist represents a good first step to saving money by splitting your pills. But there is one more thing you need to do: buy a pill splitting tool. Do not attempt to split pills using a kitchen knife or your bare hands. Attempting either one could cause your pills to shatter or crumble. A pill splitting tool is a specially designed tool that gets the job done without any risk to your medication.
Now you know three simple and easy hacks to reduce your prescription drug costs. If you use prescription medications regularly, you will hopefully be able to use at least one. Perhaps you can use all three.
