100+ Ways to Save on Prescription Costs

Ask the Doctor for Prescription Samples

Sometimes doctors get free samples of the medication. They can offer those samples to their patients. But make sure you are taking FDA-approved medication and not an experimental drug. If you are going to be the test subject for experimental drugs, you need to be in a formal drug study.

And, the doctor may know which pharmacies or programs with low or no cost medications. They may have suggestions on which programs to join. But if the doctor doesn’t have any suggestions, that could be a red flag. You don’t want a doctor without connections to the medical community. Does that doctor have a genuine level of interest in your care and needs? Or, does that doctor want to spend the least amount of time and effort per patient?

Ask the Pharmacist About Lowering Prescription Costs

The pharmacist may be more familiar than your doctor on prescription options. Some pharmacists genuinely care about helping you. However, some states previously allowed insurance companies to impose a gag order on the pharmacist.

That gag order stops the pharmacist from offering or suggesting any alternatives or cheaper options. They can only fill the prescription as written. They must charge the insurance-negotiated price based on your plan. However, the drug manufacturers cannot require the pharmacist to lie or refuse to answer a straight question. So always ask the question!

In response, Congress overwhelmingly passed (98-2, holdouts were Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) and Mike Lee (R-Utah)) a law prohibiting pharmacy gag orders. However, remanence of that practice still exists. So, ask the question!

Release that unofficial gag order. What is the cheapest option? Is there a generic version of the prescription medication? Are there other ways to lower the cost? Can you use a prescription program or Rx card for a better price? What is the cash price? Asking also reminds the pharmacists to look out for the patient’s best interests and not the drug manufacturers.

Pay in Cash at the Pharmacy for Prescriptions

There are times where the cash price for prescription medication is cheaper than the co-pay price of insurance. When you pay with cash, any price negotiated by the insurance company or Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) no longer applies. Paying in cash also limits information the insurance companies collect on you.

In certain cases, having insurance may be costing you more for prescriptions than if you didn’t have insurance. But when you pay in cash, it is up to the pharmacy to determine the price. This goes back to the previous point – ask the pharmacist.

Use Prescription and Rx Cards that Reduces Prescription Costs

We expanded the RPCV-HC Resource Library to include numerous options for prescription Rx programs. We found at least one option in every US state and most US territories. These Rx cards are free. But they won’t get you free medication. However, they may greatly reduce prescription costs.

In some instances, you can only use the card in certain cities or states. Some have residency or other eligibility requirements. Most of these cards cannot be combined with insurance. They are meant to be used instead of the insurance. But they could be cheaper than any insurance co-pay.

Locate Independent and Nonprofit Pharmacies

Critics blame PBMs for the high cost of prescription medication. They stand in-between insurance plans, drug makers, and pharmacies. Three PBMs control approximately 80% of the pharmacy market. But what about that remaining 20%?

These independent and nonprofit pharmacies determine their own pricing structures. A patient learned that he was paying a $285 insurance copay at a “major pharmacy” for a prescription that he could get for the cash price of $40 at an independent pharmacy.

Nonprofit pharmacies and charitable pharmacies are alternatives to traditional retail pharmacies. They may offer prescription medication at low or no cost. Some may have patient eligibility requirements or other qualifications. We have collected a number of these in the RPCV-HC Resource Library.

Check Into Someone Else’s Insurance Plan

Can someone else add you to their insurance plan? Check to see if you might be eligible for your parents’ or spouse’s insurance plan. Some insurance programs will even accept unmarried partners co-habitating under the same roof. Certain companies allow you to buy into their health plans. Even paying full price of a company insurance plan could still be cheaper than an individual plan.

Sign Up For a College Program

Many colleges and universities offer a “student health plan” or “campus health insurance” for their students. Some of these higher institutions do not require you to pursue a degree. It may be enough to just attend a minimum number of credited classes per semester.  In some cases, the savings in health insurance premiums alone is more than the cost of the class.

Some campuses have school-sponsored or on-campus medical centers. Students on the plan could receive free or inexpensive health care there. But there are often limits on the level of care you receive. Specialists may not available at these centers. Be sure to check on whether that student insurance covers the costs of specialists especially if you have to go off-campus.

The cost of the insurance premiums can vary. And, the level of coverage could vary too. So, you need to do some research into what those options are.

Use Drug Assistance Programs to Eliminate Prescription Costs

These programs are designed around a specific drug or people living with certain medical conditions. Certain programs like the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) operate across all 50 states and 6 territories.

Certain organizations are focused on connecting patients with resources for specific causes or diagnosis. For example, American Diabetes Association connects patients to resources to help pay for insulin and diabetes medication.

Some specialized medical facilities may provide medication directly to the patients they are treating. However, they may only provide medication based on the type of medical diagnosis they treat. And if they don’t provide the medication, they usually know of an organization or program that can help. The RPCV-HC Resource Library added a number of these too. Search tools like the Medicine Assistance Tool (MAT) help find resources and biopharmaceutical programs by medication name.

Search for Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Programs

A number of major pharmaceutical companies have a program for people who cannot afford their medication. They may offer financial assistance or free products through in-kind product donations. Each manufacturer runs its own program. And, they only offer medication that they directly manufacturer.

Each company determines its own eligibility rules. And each determines decides which products of their products to offer. Some manufacturers offer copay assistance to cover all or most of the copay after insurance is applied. Yep, we included a number of these in the RPCV-HC Resource Library too.

PhRMA’s Medicine Assistance Tool (MAT) helps patients, caregivers and health care providers. Use it to learn more about the resources available through the various biopharmaceutical industry programs. MAT is not its own patient assistance program. It is a search engine for many of the existing patient assistance resources that the biopharmaceutical industry offers.

Sign Up with Supermarkets’, Retail Companies’, and Big Box Stores’ Prescription Programs

Publix may have ended their free prescription program but there are others out there. Various large stores and programs are offering free or discounted prescription medication. Some provide an extensive list of prescription medications in their program.

For example, Walmart currently offers 30-day supplies of certain generic medications for as low as $4. Right now, Costco has a membership prescription program where you can get certain popular medications for around $10. Currently, Kroger’s Rx Savings Club membership program offers a list of over 100 medications for $6 or less.

Amazon’s RxPass program offers 50+ medications to its members for around $5 a month. Price Chopper’s Diabetes AdvantEdge program includes free diabetes medication and supplies. There are others with similar programs and prescription discounts. But, any and all of those can change at any time and without advance notice. So always check.

Look into State Drug Donation Programs

Most states have drug donation programs that receive donated medication. These donations are from designated sources like licensed healthcare facilities. The program then dispenses them to patients with a valid prescription at no cost. We included some state programs into the RPCV-HC Resource Library.

Utilize Free Community Clinics

Free community clinics are located in thousands of cities and neighborhoods nationwide. They provide free or inexpensive healthcare to the medically underserved. Many of them also provides free or discounted prescriptions medication. Use this clinic search tool to locate a clinic by location to reduce prescription costs.

Buying Medication Online

The internet changed the way we shop. You can now compare prices and buy products online without leaving home. However, there is a certain risk in buying prescriptions online.

Anyone can sell anything online. Some online medication are fake, are expired, contain dangerous ingredients, or not made in safe environments. Also, some are not labeled, stored, or shipped correctly. If you buy prescription medication online, do your research.

Look for an online pharmacy that is located in the United States and licensed by the state board of pharmacy. Do not give out your personal information (social security number, health history, etc.) Make sure that online pharmacy has clear privacy and security policies. And if they do not have a licensed pharmacist available to answer your questions, then move on.

Find Your State’s Pharmaceutical Assistance Program 

Many U.S. states offer a State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program (SPAPs) to help its residents pay for prescription costs. Each program works differently. And, each state may have different eligibility requirements. Find out if your state has a state pharmaceutical assistance program.

Be Proactive about Managing Prescription Costs

Don’t let your doctor enter a “favorite major pharmacy” into your medical file. It is usually the large insurance-negotiated pharmacies that participate in direct electronic prescriptions. But, that insurance price may not be your best pricing option.

Don’t become locked into the insurance-negotiated pricing. Unfortunately, many doctors just want the option with the least effort for them. Those doctors prefer to bypass the patient and send the prescription electronically to the pharmacy. They are not thinking about the cost to the patient. For those of us who do not make a doctor’s salary, the prescription cost matters.

Get involved in your medical care. Ask questions. Keep a copy of the prescription for your medical records. Make sure you understand the instructions. Store it safely. When you no longer need it or it expires, properly dispose it.

Check through the options in this article for the best (or free) option. Look through the Prescription/Medication section of the RPCV-HC Resource Library. Do your research. Then take that prescription to your best option.

Join the Effort to Save on Prescription Costs

In this article, we listed a wealth of options that may offer free or discounted prescription medications. However, these may change over time. Eligibility changes happen. Programs end. New ones are started. So, always check.

We collected over 100 options on ways to save $ on prescription costs. Some are highlighted in this article. Many are now in the RPCV-HC Resource Library. We have another handful more to add as soon as we can. Reach out to us if you see a gap.

And if you know more options that the RPCV community can benefit from, share it! The RPCV Health Crusade is a platform for RPCVs to organize and work together on health. Share what you can. Join the effort. Make a difference.