I am in a tight situation when it comes to taking care of my ongoing asthma problems. The only medications that have ever helped (and believe me, I've tried a lot of them) are Advair for daily use and Ventolin for emergencies. Now it's certainly a good thing that I have found medications that work, so what is the problem? The problem is that these are both brand name medications that do not have generic alternatives. My health insurance doesn't cover non-generic medications, which means that it can cost more than $350 per month just to fill these two prescriptions. There has been more than one time when I've chosen to suffer through breathing problems because I simply couldn't afford that investment in my health. I wish I had known years ago that there are coupons available to make prescription medications like these affordable! A drug that costs $300+ can cost as little as $25 or less with the right coupon.
Ask Your Doctor for Coupons
Most of the people that I know of who use coupons to reduce the cost of their prescription medication first find out about this option through their doctors. A common scenario is that a doctor tells the patient to take a certain medication and then the patient says, "I wish I could but my insurance won't cover it" at which time the doctor lets the patient know that there are coupons available to save money on that specific medication. Oftentimes the doctor will have the coupon available right on site and can provide it to you when you ask. This is a great first step for getting coupons to save money on prescriptions.
Get Coupons from the Medication Website
If your doctor doesn't have a coupon available for you and the prescription medication that you need is a brand name then you will need to do a little bit of the footwork yourself. The best place to start is to go the website for the medication. All brand name medications have their own official websites. It is very common these days for the site to have a tab or page specifically designed to provide information about savings. Some of these offer coupons and others offer other savings options such as savings cards. For example, someone with rosacea may require the drug Oracea and can find a couple of different savings programs on their site. Someone with asthma or COPD can go to the Advair website and find that they offer both a savings program and a straightforward printable coupon.
Use a Drug Coupon Website
Medication websites are not the only sites available that offer coupons and discounts for prescription drugs. There are also sites available specifically to aggregate these offers so that you can easily find the discounts that you are seeking. They are similar to traditional coupon code sites but they focus specifically on medication deals. InternetDrugCoupons and MedicationCoupons are two examples of such sites that have large databases of prescription drug coupon offers. You might also check to see if your favorite traditional discount code sites are offering drug coupon codes. For example, you can check out our health coupon codes to see if anything there is relevant to meeting your medication needs.
Check Social Media Sites, Blogs and Forums for Coupon Leads
These days the best places to find out about money saving offers is through other people who are using them. Check Facebook and Twitter for information about coupon offers on the prescription drugs that you need. For example, on Twitter you could follow the drug company or you could do a hashtag search for the name of the medication that you need. You can also check money-saving blogs and health blogs as well as medication forums for leads and information on saving money with prescription medication coupons. If you have an ongoing need for a specific costly medication then it can definitely be worth it to invest your time in this type of online research.
Call the Manufacturer of the Drugs You Need
If you are having trouble finding coupons for the medications that you need then it can't hurt to call the drug's manufacturer. There should be a toll free number either on the medication itself or on the website for the medication. Simply call and let them know that you are having trouble affording their medication and wondered if they offer any coupons, rebates or other deals to their customers. This is an effective way to get discounts on many different types of products including prescription medications. Oftentimes after you've made the first request you will be added to a mailing list that provides you with ongoing coupons from the company.
Ask Your Pharmacist about Coupons
Yet another good resource for prescription coupons is your local pharmacist. Next time that you go to pick up your medications take a moment to ask the pharmacist if he or she is aware of any coupons that are offered for the medications that you require. These people often have the inside scoop on such things since they deal with prescription pick-ups on a daily basis. Again, it can't hurt to ask.
Using Medication Coupons
Coupons are a terrific way to save money on your prescription medications. However, you want to make sure that you are using them properly to save the most money possible. The important thing here is that you read the fine print carefully and compare all coupon options and money saving deals. You may find that getting a health savings card to your local pharmacy saves you more than what you will save with the coupon offered on the drug's website. Or you may find that the coupon doesn't apply to you because you have to have specific health insurance coverage for it to count so you'll have to find an alternative. You have to be your own advocate when it comes to saving money with prescription medication coupons so be diligent.
Other Ways to Save Money on Medications
Coupons are an important way to save money on your expensive prescriptions. However, there are other options as well, and it's worth it to explore those options. Some of the most common ways that people save money on prescription medications include:
- Add a prescription coverage plan to health insurance
- Purchase medication in 90-day bulk instead of 30-day increments
- Use mail order pharmacies
- Get the generic alternative to a brand name medication
- Work with the doctor to find a less expensive medication that is effective for you
Do you have any money saving tips that you can share with us to help reduce the cost of paying for pricey medication?
