Prescription Medication Savings

Here are some suggestions that you may want to consider to reduce the cost of your prescription medications:

1. Ask for samples. Although we have limited samples we are happy to give you up to a month's supply of medications, depending on our availability.

2. Go generic. We do our very best to write prescriptions for medications that are available as a generic in a way that makes it easy for your pharmacist to substitute a cheaper generic, when generic medications are comparable to "brand name" medications.

3. Shop at warehouse and discount stores. Costco consistently has the lowest prices on medications. Consider calling your local store to find out how a prescription compares with your pharmacy.

4. Consider signing up for a prescription drug savings card. Among the best cards is RxDrugCard which as of this writing costs about 45.95$ per year for an individual or 49.95$ for a family and allows you to go to any one of 52,000 pharmacies and pay prices that are about the same as the lowest warehouse store price.

5. Shop online. Prices at American internet pharmacies are often less than at a retail store, even when you consider shipping costs. DestinationRx.com has a list of prices available at various online pharmacies. When ordering online you might want to look for sites that have the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) seal.

Many of our patients have also been interested in buying from Canadian pharmacies. Not all medications are available that way, and the FDA feels that purchasing online from Canada is illegal, but has said that it will not prosecute individuals.

"Despite safety concerns voiced by opponents of prescription drug imports, investigators [from the Government Accounting Office] said, however, they encountered few problems with medicines purchased from Canadian Web sites. In some instances, Canadian online pharmacies had stricter standards than those in the United States, the GAO said in new report." Associated Press. June 18,2004.

For more information go to the San Francisco Department of Public Health Website.

6. If you don't have any income or insurance. Many pharmacy companies have "indigent" programs that, depending on the individual program rules, may provide you with free medications. A useful site for a list of programs is maintained by Edmund Hayes.

7. Recently Consumer Reports published a guide to discounts for medications and we summarize what they had to say below:

Partly to combat the negative image that drug companies mostly care about profits, the pharmaceutical industry has taken steps to broaden consumer access to programs that offer free or discounted medications to people who are struggling to pay for their medicine. To qualify for most of these programs, you must either be without any kind of prescription drug coverage, or have maxed out benefits you do have. Income is the other major criterion. Some companies establish specific eligibility guidelines, the majority set annual limits. These rules vary from stringent limits that don't allow a single person to exceed $19,000 a year in earnings or a family of four to exceed $39,000 a year, to the more generous end of the spectrum which is set at $30,000 a year for singles, $60,000 a year for a family of four. Some companies (Merck, Bristol Myers, and Wyeth) require no proof of income, whereas others, such as Pfizer, demand tax returns.

Rx Outreach (www.rxoutreach.com; 800-769-3880). This program, sponsored by Express Scripts, offers more than 55 generic drugs, alternatives that cost only a fraction of what brand names do. The cost: $18 for a 90-day supply or $30 for a 180-day supply, which includes charges <Garbled> medicine directly to you. You can qualify regardless of age or insurance status, but your annual income must be $24,000 or less if you are single, and no more than $48,000 for a household of four.
Partnership for Prescription Assistance (www.pparx.com; 888-477-2669). If you have a brand name medicine, consider checking out whether you qualify for a drug company's discount program. This website, has been put in place by a partnership of drug companies, community groups, patient advocates, and healthcare providers. It offers a convenient one-stop shopping tool to find out if you are eligible for more than 275 programs listed, at least 150 of which are offered by drug makers. PPA's software identifies which programs, if any you qualify for and lists them according to benefits provided. The website also provides applications for the programs you want, which usually require some additional information, often including a signature from your doctor.

Drug - Company Discount Cards

TogetherRxAccess (www.togetherrxaccess.com; 800-444-4106). This is a recently introduced program sponsored by 10 major drug companies. You receive a discount card you can use at most pharmacies to get savings, typically ranging from 25-40% on more than 275 brand name prescription drugs. To qualify for the program, you cannot be eligible for Medicare, or have any other prescription drug coverage. Annual income limits are among the most liberal though, ranging from $30,000 or less for singles, $40,000 for a family of two, on up to $70,000 for a family of five.\
Merck is separately promoting its only plan with discounts of 15-40% for anyone who lacks prescription drug insurance, regardless of age or income. To learn which Merck drugs are included in the plan and to enroll, call 800-506-3725 or visit their website at www.merckhelps.com/uninsured.