Lowering Our Drug Costs

I got a shock the other day when I went to the pharmacy to pick up the latest refill of my three drugs and realized that the pharmacy assistant had neglected to run it through GoodRx, the program that helps reduce the price of our drugs. Once he did that, the cost dropped significantly.

It made me realize just how much other seniors are paying for the drugs we need to stay healthy. There are ways to cut those costs. It just takes a little work and a lot of monitoring on our part to make sure it happens.

As mentioned, there's GoodRx (www.goodrx.com), which I've used for several years. Their website isn't the easiest to use, but after you try it once, you'll appreciate being able to cut the costs of your drugs every time you need a refill.

There are other ways as well:

RxAssist (www.rxassist.org) has programs that are run by the pharmaceutical companies to help those who can't afford their prescriptions. If your drugs cost more than $10, present your RxAssist card to get the lowest price. Check the website for a long directory of patient assistance programs. Beware that some programs involve a small fee to be a member and many have eligibility requirements.

Consider Walmart pharmacies for their generic program. A 30-day prescription will cost $4 and only $10 for a 90-day prescription. Not all generic drugs will qualify for those prices, but it's worth making a call to your local Walmart pharmacy to find out if your drugs are on that list.

NeedyMeds website (www.needymeds.org) was started by a physician in 1997 to help gather information about reduced drug and health care costs. The website says over $337 million has been saved so far.

And finally, check the prices at Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs (costplusdrugs.com). For some drugs, this one is the lowest of all.