Thursday, 29. July 2010
Prescription medications are an increasingly costly part of everyone’s budget, and in tight economic times, finding ways of reducing prescription drug costs is very attractive.
Sometimes a terrible choice has to be made, one medication over another, prescriptions or food… insanely expensive but still helpful medications that aren’t covered by insurance and may be out of reach.
Here the online health resource WebMD has come up with ten money saving ways to keep those prescription drug costs under control.
1) Consider Generics – Nothing says you must take the name brand medication; often generic drugs are just as effective options. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that heart disease patients often do just as well on the generic form of a medication as they do on the brand name variety.
2) Halving Higher Dose Pills – It’s an extra step on your part, you need to carefully break each tablet, but it can save you money in the long run, especially on medications you must take often. The thing is, both high and low doses of most medications cost the same – so you’re getting the benefit of a quantity pricing. Talk to your doctor about this first to ensure it’s a suitable option for you.
3) Higher Doses Taken Less Often – In some cases, a change in dosing schedule can save you money without impacting treatment. Rather than taking small doses twice a day, ask your doctor about a higher dose taken once daily.
4) Switching From Combo Medications – Separate pills can sometimes be less costly than the combination medications, so talk to your doctor if you’re having trouble paying for the medication. You may be surprised by the options open to you.
5) Shopping For The Best Prices – The cost of prescription drugs can vary from store to store, and are sometimes cheaper if you order by mail or online. Don’t be shy about asking for prices; just as you would any other item you buy. All chain drug stores are selling the same medications – it’s up to you how much you’ll pay in profits to the drug store.
6) Investigating Drug Company Assistance Programs – If you meet certain financial criteria, you may qualify for assistance from a drug manufacturer. There will probably be paperwork and phone calls, but the savings can make the effort well worth it.
7) Looking At Medicare Part D – if you’re 65 or older, or have Medicare as the result of a disability, you can change plans every year from November 15th to December 31st. Don’t do this without some investigation… talk with your pharmacist and take a look at your current plan to see if it’s still meeting your needs, if not, plan for a change. 
Storing Medications Correctly – Heat, moisture and darkness can affect the potency of a medication, which means don’t store your medications in the bathroom medicine cabinet. After spending so much to get a particular drug, you won’t want to find it impossible to take because of damage due to how it may have been stored.
9) Don’t Save Medications – Once your condition improves the temptation is to stop taking it and keep the rest around for the future – don’t! This can be dangerous, and end up hurting your health (far more costly than the few dollars) in the long run. Finish your prescribed medication (especially those antibiotics) and go back to the doctor if you feel ill again.
10) Beware Expensive Drug Promotions – Especially those one-time deals. Remember, the incredible deal you get as part of a promotion won’t be there when it’s time to refill the prescription. In the long run, you’ll pay more for the same drug.
It’s important to keep in mind that your doctor and pharmacist are here to help you find a prescription drug that you can afford and that will help your symptoms best. Work with them. Confide financial struggles and see what can be done for reducing prescription drug costs – after all, if you don’t ask, no one can help and things won’t get easier.
Posted in Articles by Prescription Savings -
Monday, 19. July 2010
In today’s economy, would you like to reduce your prescription drug costs, even without insurance? You don’t like the thought of possibly having to choose which medicines to buy and not to buy, or choosing between eating and buying your medicine.
You can save a lot of money on prescriptions by buying generics. They are not always available. Generics are often just as effective as the brand name equivalent medications are. The Journal of the American Medical Association recently published findings that showed that the generic form of a heart medication is just as effective for those with heart disease as the more expensive brand name medications.
You can often save a lot of money on your prescription drug costs by simply shopping from store to store. You might save even more by buying your prescriptions online or by phone. It is a simple fact that all chain drugstores sell the same products. The difference in price is caused by how much profit they seek to make.
You might save money by checking out drug company assistance programs. Drug companies may help you, if you meet certain financial conditions. You will have to complete a lot of paperwork. You will end up making a lot of phone calls. In the end, however, your savings will make the work worth the effort.
Changing your Medicare plan can save you money. If you’re on Medicare Part D because you are 65 or older or on disability, or are on Medicare because of a disability, you have the right to change your plan each year from November 15 to December 31. Before you consider changing your plan, talk to your pharmacist to see if such action would be a good idea for you. If your plan does not meet your need, a change might help you save money.
You can save money on prescriptions by avoiding the expensive one time deals offered as a drug promotion. The incredible deal you will receive now will not help you when you want to refill your order. You will actually end up paying more for the same drug.
Your pharmacist and your doctor are there to help. They can help find a medication that will help you at the lowest cost. Tell them about your financial situation. If you don’t ask for their help; they won’t help, and you will pay more money.
Sometimes combination medications are more expensive. Talk to your doctor, and he may be able to give you prescriptions for separate pills. You might be surprised how much money you will be able to save.
You might be able to save money on prescriptions if you ask your doctor if you can take a higher dose of a medicine once a day, rather than a lower dose, twice a day. Who knows? You might save money, without your treatment being impacted.
You might be able to save money on prescriptions if you get a prescription for a higher dose of your medication and then cut your pill into. Ask your doctor if this would work in your case. This might be especially beneficial as far as savings on the medicines you take the most.
Who knows how much money you could save on your prescriptions, with just a few simple steps?
Posted in Articles by Prescription Savings -
Wednesday, 7. July 2010
In our last article we focused on a few ways to save money. This time, you’ll find a few more ways to save money and maybe a couple that you didn’t think of. As always, it’s not my intention to make you a cheapskate, but rather to give you the choice of where to spend your money instead of wondering where it went.
I mentioned this in the previous article but it’s so important that I have to repeat this again.
The first thing you should do after reading this article is grab a notebook, PDA or some other way to keep track and start recording your spending. Write down every purchase you make, even a soda or snack from a vending machine. Keep it up for at least a month and then look at where your money goes. You may start to see a trend that you want to stop before the month is over and by all means, change it. You may also want to do this more than once. It’s a great way to keep from falling back into or developing new bad spending habits.
Here’s a pet peeve of mine, ATM fees. Not only do you pay 1-3 bucks for the ATM you’re using but another 1-3 bucks to your bank. If you stop at the wrong ATM for $20 for dinner then you may be paying $26. Take a look at your bank statement and see how much you could’ve saved by planning over the last month. Personally, I saved almost $100 when I stopped using other ATMs.
Bank fees Depending on your bank, you may have free checking or pay a fee each month. If you’re paying a fee, then you really should think about how much it is and if it’s worth changing banks. You should pick a bank that has a lot of ATMs that are convenient to you and free checking. If you pick the correct bank, you can easily cut down the number of ATM fees that you incur simply by having your bank’s ATMs on the way to your destination.
Gas prices Use a search site like Gasbuddy.com Prices can vary by as much as 25 cents a gallon in the same city. It’s not worth your time to drive across town for a penny a gallon but if you can detour a few blocks for 10 cents a gallon then it’s worth it.
Prescription drugs According to a recent study, the prices can vary widely between pharmacies so unless you have drug coverage from your insurance, you should call around to different stores and check. You can also use a mail order pharmacy but be careful on those.
Pay down your mortgage Unless you have a loan that doesn’t allow this, you can over pay each month and that money goes directly to principle. Depending on your loan and the amount you over pay, you may save thousands over the life of the loan. Incidentally, some auto loans also allow this.
Pay your bills on time. A little known bit of fine print in many credit contracts allow unrelated companies to increase your rate just because you were late on a different account. Not only that but some companies will raise your rate to 29-31% interest if you’re 1 day late.
Free cycle is a group of people that choose to give away items instead of throwing them away. Not only does it save the receiver money but it keeps it out of the landfill. Do a search for your area and see if there’s a group in place.
Brian Baldwin is an entrepreneur who enjoys saving people money by offering some of the best products and services available today. Brian invites you to visit http://www.southerntechservices.com to compare our rates.
If you’d like to read the previous article, please visit stservices.powerfulintentions.com/library
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Monday, 22. March 2010
Ideas To Save Money Around The Home And In Everyday Life. A Must-have For Anyone Wanting To Have More Free Cash. Get Fit Whilst Saving, Reduce Your Impact On The Environment, Have Fun Saving Money And Spend It On The Things You Really Want In Life.
200 Simple Ways To Save Money.
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Tuesday, 16. March 2010
If you’re buying your pet prescriptions directly from your veterinarian, you’re probably paying way too much. The profit margins on popular drugs like Advantix, Frontline, GlycoFlex or Program are massive, meaning you’re paying a lot more than you should.
However, you don’t have to pay those high prices. Thousands of pet owners have found relief for animals by buying their pet medications through online or phone-based pharmacies that specialize in pet meds. When buying wholesale or through a discount provider, you could save hundreds of dollars every year.
But, is it a good idea? How do you find a trusted pharmacy? What happens if you require a prescription? For the answers to these questions and more, read on.
Where do I find wholesale pet prescriptions?
There are scores of companies throughout the United States selling pet prescriptions either online or over the phone. To find a quality seller, try to use a retailer that’s recommended by either your veterinarian or friends. Also, look for a seller that’s based in the U.S. or Canada and has high standards when it comes to checking for prescriptions.
What if I’m buying a drug that needs a prescription?
To buy pet medications that require a prescription, you will need to first obtain a prescription from your veterinarian and then either scan or fax the prescription to them. Many pet pharmacies also allow you to input your veterinarian’s contact information. They will then call your veterinarian directly to confirm the prescription.
If your veterinarian is averse to transferring your prescription to an online or phone provider, remind them that it is your choice and it’s important that you be able to purchase affordable pet medications. Some veterinarians will even match low, online prices, while others simply provide you with the prescription.
How do I know I’m getting quality drugs?
Again, look for sites that sell FDA-approved or EPA-approved, brand name drugs – the same ones that are sold in your veterinarian’s office. Don’t buy from an out-of-country provider that’s not monitored by federal regulations, and stick to providers that are committed to quality pet care.
What if my pet needs medication now?
If your pet needs medication right now, then you should purchase your drugs directly from the veterinarian. There’s no point in jeopardizing your pet’s health to save a few dollars. However, if your pet requires ongoing joint pain medications or heartworm drugs, buying online is a great option.
Compare Prices at Destination RX.Com or Froogle.Com
Try sites like DestinationRX.Com or Google’s Froogle.com to compare the prices of brand-name medications at multiple sites. Just type in the name of your prescription, like Cosequin or Sentinel, and you’ll get back a full list of retailers selling your prescription, along with prices.
Any responsible pet owner should first ensure that the medication being sought is actually of high quality rather than something that might either do little to help, or worse, do harm. Within that framework, seek out the best deals.
For helpful information about pet supplies, please visit petsuppliestips.com, a popular site about needs for your beloved pet, such as cheap dog crates, health care for pets, and many more!
Posted in Articles by Prescription Savings -
Friday, 12. March 2010
Medications are one of those necessities that you might not think twice about when it comes to spending money. Plenty of people might complain about the prices of medication but we resign ourselves to the fact these are things that we must be able to afford to buy to maintain our health or treat medical conditions. Though the fact is that there are methods to deduct the costs of medications and still keep your medicine cabinet economically stocked with essential things. • Consult with your doctor. Talking to your doctor about the cost of prescriptions may prompt your doctor to prescribe generic or lower cost medication. If the cost of medication is an issue, you might not follow the instructions that have been outlined by your doctor. • Research around. Search distinct pharmacies in your area to find the best possible deal. In some states, pharmacies in large retail stores offer cheap prices on some prescriptions. You may also find distinct prices for prescription drugs you require at different pharmacies near your home. Use discounts cards from the pharmacies themselves. Look for rebates. Plenty of the drug stores have monthly rebates you could apply for on line. • Apply for prescription assistance. A lot of drug manufacturers offer programs for households that meet certain income levels. Explore programs that are funded by the government that can help you save money on your prescriptions. Check into discount programs that are offered by pharmaceutical companies. Various pharmacies offer discount coupons that you can use to save money when you get your prescriptions filled. • Look at your lifestyle. Take an in-depth look at your day to day routing and lifestyle habits. Hard to believe, but lots of health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, lower back pain, and high blood pressure pain may need fewer medication if you only know how to adjust your lifestyle to adapt to your condition. Through enhancing your activity level, improving methods to manage your stress and switching to a healthier diet, you can reduce the amount of medicine you use. With a little research and planning, you can save money on your prescriptions. RxBids offers a comprehensive alternative prescription assistance program unlike the prescription assistance programs that are ran by pharmaceutical companies. The program offered by RxBids is free and available to everyone regardless of income level.
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Saturday, 6. March 2010
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