Over-The-Counter Drugs Money Saving Tips, Ideas and Advice to Save on Your Healthcare Costs

SavingsNut.com™ – The Best Site On The Internet For Money Saving Tips & Frugal Living Ideas

Also Visit

AutoSavingsNut.com

CollegeSavingsNut.com

EnergySavingsNut.com

HealthcareSavingsNut.com

InsuranceSavingsNut.com

ShoppingSavingsNut.com

TravelSavingsNut.com

WeddingSavingsNut.com

“A Detailed Guide of Money Saving Advice & Budgeting Know-How On How To Be Frugal & Spend Less”

Facebook

“The best resource on the Internet to teach both young and old how to reduce everyday household expenses. Simply the best.” TSN

DRUGS & MEDICAL SERVICES - Page 2

Prescription & Over-The-Counter Drugs (continued)

f. If you are expecting to use all your refills, try getting all of the refills filled at the same time. Sometimes the pharmacy charges less per pill because they are only filling one prescription, instead of three separate refills at three separate times. And sometimes, you only have to pay one co-pay instead of three. However, if you are using prescription coverage, most plans will not permit this practice.

g. Ask your doctor to give you a “mail order” prescription (i.e., a prescription for a three months supply) and order your prescription through a mail order discount pharmacy. This will almost always save you money. Just make sure you really need all those pills. If you have prescription coverage, your plan probably already has mail order coverage, and may even mandate using a specific mail order pharmacy for drugs you take over an extended period. If you do not have coverage, ask your doctor if they could suggest a mail order pharmacy, or just look on the Internet. Some people have chosen Canadian mail order companies to reduce costs, but these are not always the best deal. In any case, make sure you compare prices between mail order pharmacies since they differ. The web site PharmacyChecker.com can be helpful. Also compare mail order prices with other pharmacies, including Walmart’s $4 per month prices.

h. Ask your doctor if getting a prescription for double the dose and then cutting the pills in half is possible. Inexpensive tablet cutters are available at most pharmacies. You may also want to check with your pharmacist to make sure a particular medicine can be taken in this manner. But if you can, you may save up to 40% on the cost of the medicine.

3. Try to get “free” drugs whenever possible.

a. Ask your doctor for any free drug samples they can give you. Pharmaceutical companies give doctors thousands of dollars of free samples each year to give to their patients. This is also a good way to try a drug out to see if it is effective and you can tolerate the drug, before you buy a month’s supply.

b. Ask your doctor if they are aware of any discount programs that could help you afford your medication.

c. You may also be able to receive free prescription drugs directly from drug manufacturers. Many companies offer free drugs for people in need of assistance. Go to the web sites pparx.org/Intro.php and rxassist.org to find out if you qualify. Other assistance can be found at BenefitsCheckup.com.

d. Go to your drug manufacturer’s web site and see if they have any discounts or rebates available, or any drug assistance programs. Or try the web site OptimizeRx.com for potential savings.

4. Do not overpay for over-the-counter drugs.

a. If you use an over-the-counter drug on a regular basis, always consider the large size, where cost per pill or dosage can be much less.

b. Most over-the-counter drugs come in both highly-publicized brand names, as well as store brand names. Check the ingredients carefully, but the store brand almost always has the same identical active ingredients as the name brand. There is no difference at all, except the store brand will be considerably less expensive. Buy the store brand and save. This is true for most all over-the-counter drugs and remedies from aspirin to vitamins to cold remedies, etc.

Doctors, Tests & Other Medical Services

Saving money on doctors, tests and other medical services is a difficult task. If you have comprehensive healthcare coverage with a low deductible and co-pays, this may not be a major source of concern, since most all of your medical costs are covered by your insurance. But if you do not have this type of coverage, controlling medical costs is generally very important. Unfortunately, the average person does not have the medical knowledge to evaluate if certain treatments are necessary or properly done. Deciding on whether money should be spent on medical services, and whether the price and quality of services is a “good buy,” are hard decisions. Many people opt to just accept what the doctor and hospital order, without questioning what they are getting and the cost they are being charged. But there are ways to try to control your expenditures and still get the care you need.

1. Try to make rational decisions on where to go when you need care.

a. Emergency rooms are by far the most expensive alternative and should be avoided, unless you have a true emergency that requires acute and specialized treatment right away.

b. Instead of going to the emergency room, go to your local urgent care facility. They can handle most “routine” emergencies at far less cost than emergency rooms.

c. For general care, find a good primary care doctor and develop a long-term relationship. But try to save some money by keeping office visits confined to routine checkups and necessary care.

d. For routine care, if you do not have a regular doctor, consider using walk-in clinics. They have doctors and nurses on staff that can handle most “normal” medical issues. There may also be a low-priced local clinic available in your neighborhood.

e. Public health fairs can be a less expensive way to get those screening tests you need, such as eye exams, cholesterol, blood pressure checks, etc. You can also check blood pressure at many pharmacies by using their blood pressure kiosk.