If the prescription drug cost is taking a huge bite out of your household budget, don’t do without the important drugs you need. Follow these advices for reducing what you need to pay for your pills:

• Ask the doctor for free samples if he/she prescribes prescription drugs for you or one of your family members.
• Ask the doctor if you can get a generic alternative to the prescribed drug, or whether the doctor can prescribe a more affordable alternative. Many latest drug brands are more expensive than their predecessors, but they aren’t necessarily better.
• Invest on 90-day supplies of your long-term drugs, so you can save on the dispensing fees that many pharmacies usually charge each time they fill the prescription.
• Ask the doctor if you can get higher dose pills and split it in half every time you take it. Even so, your doctor must have the final say, if this is a good alternative for your particular medication and health condition.
• Do some researches before the prescription is filled. You may be amazed at the prices range from drugstore to drugstore in your area.
• Only buy your prescribed drugs from online pharmacies that are members of VIPPS program (National Association of Boards of Pharmacy). You should find the VIPPS seal of approval on the site’s main page.
• Always buy in bulk if you get your drugs from a mail-order pharmacy, especially for medications that you take regularly in long-term.
• See if you are eligible for a drug assistance program. A few programs are income based, however others, like Merck’s, provide prescription drug discounts to people who are uninsured.

Drug discount cards are usually bad deals, because they use so many restrictions. For instance, you can’t use your card to get generic drugs or you can only use it certain pharmacies.

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