First, if the medication is only to be used for a brief time, ask your doctor if he can give you samples of the drug. Pharmaceutical salespeople sometimes leave samples with doctors, who will usually give them to you if you ask for them. You may need to ask about availability, as your doctor might not think to offer the samples.

If you will be taking a specific medication for an extended time and have a prescription insurance plan, make sure you understand exactly what your plan will cover. Your health insurance plan will keep a formulary, which is a list of certain medications that they prefer. Drugs on the list are usually less expensive than drugs that don’t appear on the list. If the medication your doctor prescribes does not appear on the formulary, ask for comparable medication that is on the list.

It is wise to use generic medications whenever you can. If you have to pay for your medications yourself, you can really save a great deal of money this way. If you use generic medications, you may have a lower co-pay from your prescription plan. Your doctor can help you determine whether a generic medication will work as well for you as a brand-name drug.

Mail-order programs are another option offered by many prescription drug programs. This can be an inexpensive and convenient way to obtain your medications. A 90-day supply frequently costs almost the same amount of money as a 30-day supply.

It isn’t always cheaper to use your insurance at your local pharmacy. Sometimes the insurance co-pay might be higher than the medication’s actual cost; in this case, your pharmacist can process the prescription without your insurance.

Many grocery stores or mass merchandisers print prescription coupons in their weekly circulars that can save you money. A new or transferred prescription may earn you a $10 or even $25 gift certificate to their store. Transferring a prescription usually entails a phone call to the new drugstore so that they can obtain the necessary information.

If you are still struggling to pay for your prescriptions, talk to your doctor about programs for low-income patients offered by the pharmaceutical industry. You can obtain the necessary paperwork at your physician’s office.