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Save Money on Prescriptions with Good RX, WebMDRx, mail Order, and manufacturer programs

Save Money on Prescriptions with Good RX, WebMDRx, mail Order, and manufacturer programs

Prescription costs keep rising and the cost varies widely from pharmacy to pharmacy. Simply going to the pharmacy across the street could save you hundreds of dollars – if you knew!  But there is help.

Pharmacy prices vary widely
Pharmacy prices can vary widely                           Image by GoodRX

Several drug manufacturers offer deep dispounts on medicines – but you have to sign up for their discount program.  These programs are free to join – the trick is finding out about them.  Ask your Doctor if any exist for your medications.  One diabetic drug that is normally over $700/month is only $25/month (holy cow what a savings!) through the manufacturer’s program. Another medicine is actually free through that program.  If a program exists, your doctor will probably have a brochure that explains it and how to sign up. No credit card is needed and the signup process is very quick. A Google search  can also help you find these manufacturer programs.  This works whether you have insurance or not.

Another option is a discount program such as GoodRX (www.goodrx.com) or WebMDRX (www.webmdRX.com).  Unlike the manufacturer drug discounts discussed above, these programs are not specific to a single medicine.  Both are free to use and do not require registration or a credit card. They work at over 60,000 (WebMDRX) and 70,000 (GoodRX) pharmacies nationwide.

Since price varies widely between pharmacies – even in the same area – you can use these websites to compare prices. Both websites let you put in your zip code and will show you the drug price at locations near you. GoodRX also offers coupons for additional discounts. On either website, simply enter your drug’s name and your zip code on the home page and it will list the prices near you.

Both sites also let you print a discount card for your wallet – without the need to signup for anything. You can use either or both tools. Note: Not all discounts can be used with Medicare/Medicaid. Check with your pharmacy.

If you have more than one prescription – remember the lowest price may not be at the same pharmacy for all of your medicines. You can use the comparison shopping tool to choose a pharmacy that offers the best overall deal for you. A little quick research can save you lots of money.

One more option to look into is mail-order. Be sure to use a reputable mail-order pharmacy such as OptumRX! Scammers exist. If you have private insurance, your plan may offer access to a mail-order pharmacy.  This is best for medicine that you use long term – not a 10 day course of antibiotics. Typically you will order a 90 day supply from the mail order pharmacy. The savings are tremendous – often it works out that the cost for 3 months mail order is the same or less than 2 months bought once a month at a time from your corner drug store. That’s a 30% savings. Another benefit is no waiting in line to fill a prescription – it comes to you. You can also set up automatic refills.

Which option is cheapest will depend upon your prescription. Comparing prices is simple, quick, and save you a lot of money.