This post is sponsored by Diamond links. Any opinions expressed are my own.
Sometimes going to the pharmacy can be stressful, especially if you’re just starting on a new medication or refilling a medication you already know costs way too much. If you don’t have prescription drug coverage with your insurance, it’s even worse. Some people just forgo filling needed medications because they simply can’t afford it.
I wish I could tell you I have the answer to make all your prescriptions affordable but I don’t. I do know (and use) a few ways to help save you some money.
Whether you have insurance or not, a pharmacy discount program like SingleCare can help. I actually asked my pharmacist at one point if those discount programs were any good. She said it can helps save some money for those without insurance. For those with insurance often times it’s just cheaper with the insurance. She said they can check both though just to save you the most money. Pharmacy discount programs sometimes offers coupons like this dymista coupon , for instance, where you can also compare and contrast prices at different pharmacies.
Another option, ask if a generic drug can be substituted. Not all name brand drugs have a generic equivalent especially if they’re newer drugs but it can’t hurt to ask. This could be big savings for you if they do.
If there isn’t a generic equivalent for your name brand drug, check the drug’s website. A pharmacy tech actually told me about this one. My one son needs an epipen. I have insurance so I really wasn’t paying all that much compared to what I heard some were paying. She told me to check the epipen site to sign up for their epipen savings card program. You get a card to show to your pharmacist for a discount. This actually saved me about $20/month! As I started searching I found many of the name brand drugs had a similar program. I was on Lialda for a while for my Ulcerative Colitis and they had a savings card as well.
Another trick I’ve learned, see if there is another option to fill your medication. What I mean by this is…when the epipen prices increased I heard people were being charged as much as $600 for one epipen. That was horrifying to me since people being prescribed an epipen really really need it. Without the consequences could be fatal. A medical friend told me that you can ask the pharmacist for a vial of epinephrine and syringes and they can teach you to deliver the epinephrine that way. While this idea wouldn’t be appealing to me I heard the cost is much less than an epipen.
Some pharmacies offer free or very low cost antibiotics now too.
I’d love to know what ways you’ve found to save at the pharmacy!
