Saving Money on Medicationby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 26 Sep 2007 05:28 PM Medication, whether it is prescription or over the counter, seems to be getting more and more expensive these days, even with insurance. The other day, for example, I had to pay full price for a common medication because the number of refills my insurance company allows was up. This got me thinking about some of the ways we can save on medications without compromising our health. Here they are. Try reputable mail order. Some insurance companies require you to get refills filled through mail order, rather than through your neighborhood pharmacy. And even if this doesn't apply to you, you may still be able to save money on the cost of your medication by going mail order. Purchase larger quantities. Ask your doctor if you medication can be purchased in larger amounts, for example, in a three-month supply. This way, you are only paying one co-pay amount instead of three. If there is a cap on the number of pills your insurance company will pay for, see if your doctor will write a prescription for pills that are double the dosage. Get an inexpensive pill splitter to split the pills and save money that way. Just make sure of the proper dosage and split the pills in advance so you don't accidentally take too much. Ask the doctor for free samples. This is especially helpful when you are starting on a medication that might be changed due to allergies or effectiveness, for example. The samples will give you a good chance to try out the medication without spending a fortune. Don't waste your medication by storing it improperly. A moist environment such as your bathroom medicine cabinet will make your medication deteriorate. We store ours in a medicine cabinet in a half bath, so it stays dry, but any high cabinet in a cool dry place would work well. Look out for coupons for over the counter medications, such as pain relievers and stock up. Take a 75 cent coupon and wait until your grocery store has a triple coupon day. Then buy the smallest amount possible. Or buy generic. Over the counter medicines are very closely regulated and should be pretty equal. Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here. Related Articles Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags frugal, medicine, medication, pharmacy, save money Discuss this article
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