4 Ways To Save Money On Proscription Drugs

If you have purchased any type of prescription drug recently, then you are well aware of the high price tag on most medications. Many on fixed incomes have resorted to splitting pills, taking medications only on alternating days or forgoing taking prescribed medicine altogether to save money. Very dangerous, potentially deadly, practices. Use these 4 ways to save money on prescription drugs and take your medicine everyday as prescribed to maintain your health.


PRESCRIPTION SAVINGS PROGRAMS


Many chain pharmacies offer some type of prescription savings program that you can sign up for and save money on generic brands and/or long-term medications.
 Sometimes the money-saving programs have a small up-front fee (usually around $10), but will save you far more than that nominal amount for one prescription.
Call the different pharmacies in your area to discover what type of prescription savings programs they may offer to their customers.


COMPANY WEBSITE


 Pharmaceutical companies often offer money saving coupons for long-term maintenance drugs on the company website. Special offers and/or rebate cards may also be offered. Before having a new prescription filled, check the pharmaceutical company's website. Talk with your doctor about the cost of a new or existing prescription. Pharmaceutical companies frequently give drug samples and discount prescription cards to physicians to hand out to their patients.


PAYMENT HELPER SITES


 Know that you are not alone in the struggle to meet the rising cost of prescription drugs and several 'payment helper' groups have formed to help people who are struggling to purchase their needed medications. Visit some of the online websites, like TogetherRx, to see if you qualify for free or reduced priced medications.


GO NORTH


 Across the Canadian border prescription drugs are up to 50% cheaper than here in the United States. The drug prices are so much cheaper up north because Canada's federal government controls the prices of new drugs. When doing business with an online Canadian drugstore, make sure they are certified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy and display the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site seal on their website. This will ensure you are getting top quality medications and not being scammed. 

The Question Everyone Should Ask Their Pharmacist When Taking a New Drug

I have been a victim and near-victim of prescription drugs I should never have been given. Millions of people like you and me put blind faith into their doctors every day to prescribe safe and useful medications. Hundreds of thousands of them die every year from drug side effects. In fact, prescription drugs kill more people yearly than illegal drugs or traffic accidents.

 The fact is, your doctor can't possibly know every side effect of every drug on the market, and they don't have to. That's why pharmacists exist and why I have learned to utilize their knowledge.


WHY PATIENTS DIE OF SIDE EFFECTS


They Should Have Known About Pharmacists have no influence over how many prescriptions are written, nor do they benefit from filling a certain prescription.
 Part of their job is to educate patients on the drugs they prescribe. Nearly every major pharmacy has a counter just for consultations, and very few people ever use them.
 Everyone is in a hurry, so when the pharmacy asks if you understand the directions given with the drugs, most people just sign and walk away.


Make Your Pharmacist Does His Job


My pharmacist told me that if people would actually let pharmacists educate them about the medications they are taking, they could save thousands of lives a year.
He said that he has tried, and been told they would just read the paper inside. Most people don't read it. Again, there is that blind faith in the doctor to do no harm. Unfortunately, drug companies don't take that oath, routinely paying unscrupulous doctors to push their drugs.

I've had pharmacists alert me to possible dangers of a new prescription, such as the possibility of seizures, and I really appreciated it.


DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK BEFORE YOU BUY


 Before you even purchase a new prescription, ask for a pharmacist to print out a list of side effects and explain them to you.
You may find that you should not be taking that medicine at all because of something your doctor overlooked.
I was once almost given Tylenol with codeine in a hospital, even though CODEINE was written in red letters across the top of my chart, since I am allergic to it.
Neither the doctor who wrote the prescription nor the nurse who called it in to the pharmacist noticed it.
 It had not been put into the records that were available on the pharmacy computer, or he may have been able to catch it. Fortunately, my husband was in my room, noticed the pills were like the ones he had been prescribed for back pain, and asked before I took them.
With drugs companies pushing through approvals of new drugs they know are dangerous, and promoting drugs for dangerous off-label uses, you have to be your own advocate.
I was recently prescribed a drug that stated clearly on the cautions that it should not be prescribed to elderly patients, due to risk of death.
I don't know if 60 is considered elderly, but it's close enough for me. The other side effects were equally as frightening. Furthermore, it was a drug for an illness I don't even have. So do your research and be your own best protector, and don't be afraid to ask your pharmacist questions

Medications That Can Cause Weight Gain

About four years ago, I had gastric bypass surgery and lost 148 pounds.

 I was thrilled with my weight loss. Then last summer, my doctor prescribed two medications for me to treat depression, notriptyline and Abilify.

To my dismay, in just a few months I'd gained 23 pounds. Unfortunately, weight gain is a common side effect of a number of medications, including some antidepressants like those my doctor prescribed for me. If you're concerned about your weight, or if you notice weight gain after taking a new medication, talk to your doctor.

Your doctor may be able to prescribe an alternative medication that is less likely to cause weight gain.

Don't just stop taking a medication due to weight gain, though.

Suddenly stopping some medications can cause serious health problems.



 ANTIDEPRESSANTS 



According to Web MD, up to 25 percent of people taking antidepressants experience weight gain of at least 10 pounds.

 Weight gain sometimes occurs shortly after a patient begins taking an antidepressant but often does not occur until a patient has been taking the drug for six months or more.

Antidepressants that may cause weight gain include paxil, prozac, lexapro, zoloft, elavil, effexor, parnate, and nardil.

 It's important to remember that these drugs don't cause weight gain in all patients, though.




STEROIDS



Steroids, also referred to as corticosteroids, are prescribed for a variety of conditions, including asthma, arthritis, some skin disorders, some autoimmune disorders, and some types of cancer. Corticosteroids include drugs like cortisone, hydrocortisone, and prednisone.

They can cause weight gain and a characteristic puffiness or "moon face" appearance.



DIABETES MEDICATIONS



Some medications prescribed to treat diabetes, like Diabeta and Diabinese, can lead to weight gain because they increase the appetite.

 According to John Hopkins Medicine, other medications can usually be used to treat diabetes that don't have this side effect. If you need to take one of these drugs that increases the appetite, though, pay attention to your food intake and focus on high fiber, low calorie foods that will fill you up without adding many calories to prevent weight gain.



 HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICATIONS




 High blood pressure medications, including Cardura and Inderal, can cause weight gain because they can cause water retention.

They can also cause fatigue, causing a patient to become less active, which then leads to weight gain.


ANTI-SEIZURE MEDICATIONS



Depakote is a commonly prescribed anti-seizure drug that can cause weight gain.
 It's also sometimes prescribed for patients with bipolar disorder or other psychiatric problems.



HEARTBURN MEDICATIONS


 Heartburn medications like Nexium and Prevacid lead to weight gain in some people, but other actually lose weight while taking these drugs.

According to Medicine Net, doctors can't predict how your body will respond to one of these drugs.

If you're concerned about weight gain and your doctor prescribes one of these medications, monitor your weight carefully and talk to your doctor about any weight gain.