Best way to find cheaper Rx prices?

[Anonymous]

We have a high deductible plan and several medications that cost us around $100/month. It takes a while to meet our deductible because we have out of network expenses (psych mainly but also pediatrician, although kids don't have to see the pediatrician that often).

I find it nearly impossible to shop around for drug prices - if you call, they say they can't give you a price without running it through your insurance.

Anyone have some tips to offer based on actual experience?

[Anonymous]

If your meds are name brand, go on the manufacturer's website. There may be coupons. Mail order saves us hundreds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your meds are name brand, go on the manufacturer's website. There may be coupons. Mail order saves us hundreds.

Thanks - what mail order service do you use and is it tied to your insurance company?

[Anonymous]

Try to order 90 days at a time. Often that is cheaper than getting 30 days three separate times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your meds are name brand, go on the manufacturer's website. There may be coupons. Mail order saves us hundreds.

Thanks - what mail order service do you use and is it tied to your insurance company?

Our insurance uses Caremark (it's owned by CVS). We can get many generics for $15 for 3 months. DH insulin is $119/month at CVS, but $80/3 months through Caremark mail order.

Epi-pens we have gotten for free with an on-line coupon. Some of DD's acne meds are expensive. We have gotten them under $25/month or free with a coupon.

[Anonymous]

Get on-line access to your insurance prescription coverage. There may be a costing tool where you enter they medicine and they give you the price at different places.

[Anonymous]

Have you asked your doctor if it is possible to switch to a generic drug? I was surprised that mine said a generic in the same class would work as well, but had initially prescribed me a name brand drug. It saved me hundreds of dollars over the course of a couple of months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you asked your doctor if it is possible to switch to a generic drug? I was surprised that mine said a generic in the same class would work as well, but had initially prescribed me a name brand drug. It saved me hundreds of dollars over the course of a couple of months.

Thanks, it seems that the pharmacies almost automatically give me the generic even if the doc wrote the brand name - not sure if that's pushed by my insurance or not, but even the generics are insane when you have a high deductible, i.e. paying 100%.

[Anonymous]

You can ask them to run it though insurance for a quote, without actually filling it.

[Anonymous]

Go to www.goodrx.com

It’s a type of coupon program, it’s free. Type in the med and dosage and it’ll give you a list of how much each one costs at each pharmacy. Click on the pharmacy you want and a coupon code information will pop up. Show that to the pharmacy to get that price.

[Anonymous]

You can give your phone to the pharmacy when you check out or you can print the coupon off the computer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go to www.goodrx.com

It’s a type of coupon program, it’s free. Type in the med and dosage and it’ll give you a list of how much each one costs at each pharmacy. Click on the pharmacy you want and a coupon code information will pop up. Show that to the pharmacy to get that price.

Which pharmacies have honored this for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you asked your doctor if it is possible to switch to a generic drug? I was surprised that mine said a generic in the same class would work as well, but had initially prescribed me a name brand drug. It saved me hundreds of dollars over the course of a couple of months.

Thanks, it seems that the pharmacies almost automatically give me the generic even if the doc wrote the brand name - not sure if that's pushed by my insurance or not, but even the generics are insane when you have a high deductible, i.e. paying 100%.

I’ve actually changed to a different drug, which has a generic equivalent, rather than one that only comes in a brand name option. Sometimes the brand-name option is the only one that works, but other times there are a few drugs that will work, and your doctor can let you know if one available in generic form will work. I think doctors receive so many free samples/marketing materials for brand-name drugs that they sometimes don’t think about the cost savings to a patient of going with a generic, so I find it worth initiating a conversation with my doctor.

Good luck! Health care costs are so frustrating.

[Anonymous]

You can call around to the various pharmacies and ask them what your Rx would cost if you can't find the info online.

One of our meds - we get the copay reimbursed by the manufacturer. We have to submit the receipts.

[Anonymous]

Run the numbers to see if it’s better just to pay full price to hit your deductible earlier.

I have a lot of expensive prescriptions. I could nickle and dime it all year using manufacturers coupons and goodrx, and hit my max OOP in June, or I could hit it in January by just getting what my doctor prescribes for that month, and not think about medical costs for the rest of the year. It’s easier just to budget for the expense in January.