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©Mood, 2008
For people living with mood and anxiety disorders and others who want to be
happier and healthier.

The right medications can make it possible for those of us who live with depression, bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions to live satisfying and productive lives. But, if we don't have insurance to cover their costs, we may be forced to spend more on medicines than on food. If we do have prescription drug coverage, we may find that some drugs cost us more than others.

Here are some ways we can save on the costs of our prescription drugs, whether or not we have insurance:

Talk to your doctor
Your doctor can help with prescription savings if you ask:

• if there's a lower-cost version of the medicine you need
• if there's a generic-drug version of the medicine you need
• if you can have a free sample of your prescription drug
• if you can split your pills, you might get more for your prescription dollars. But talk to your doctor.

Generics
Your pharmacist can tell you if a generic version of your prescription is available. Generics could save you 30-60 percent or more off the cost of brand-name drugs. For most drugs, the generic version is just as effective as the name-brand version. About 75 percent of brand-name, FDA-approved prescription drugs have generic-drug versions. In fact, more than half of all US prescriptions -- more than 1 billion a year -- are for generic drugs.

Low-income drug assistance
You might qualify for help paying for your medications. Read this.

Shop around
Prices for the same drug, either name-brand or generic, can vary enormously from store to store. Call your regular pharmacy and a few others to check on prescription drug prices.

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Splitting or doubling pills
Splitting pills can save money because different strengths of a medicine are sometimes about the same in price. For example, each 20 mg pill of one medicine costs about $3.57, while each 40 mg pill of the same drug costs about $3.61. If your doctor prescribes 20 mg of this drug daily, you could save about $640.00 over a year by buying the 40 mg pills and splitting them in half.

But exercise caution before splitting pills; it's not always safe. Pills that are scored can always be split. But capsules should never be split; nor should time-release or extended release pills. Some pills have a special coating that protects your stomach from the medicine and the medicine from your stomach acid. Always check with your doctor. And if you are going to split pills, use a pill splitter, an inexpensive device available where you get your prescription filled.

Pharmacies often mark up the cost of generic drugs in staggering amounts to make up for the small profit margin on brand name drugs. It pays to shop around.

If you find a lower price than your pharmacy offers, ask if they'll match it.

Costco, Target and Wal-Mart have discount drug programs. You can save big on some, but not all, medications. If your medication is on the list of discounted drugs, you may be able to buy it for as little as $4.00.

Consider using mail-order pharmacy services.
You can usually order as much as a 3-month supply of your prescription medicine for less than what individual prescription refills would cost at a local retail pharmacy. If you use an Internet pharmacy service, be sure it carries the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites program (VIPPS) seal.

Pharmacychecker is one example of a source for online pharmacies. The site allows you to compare costs and order from licensed pharmacies in the U.S., Canada and other countries. (Most are Canadian.) Physical addresses and/or telephone numbers of these pharmacies are provided. All participating pharmacies require a prescription.

You can save an average of 30 percent on brand-name drugs from Canada; generics are usually cheaper from U.S. pharmacies. Note: Buying drugs from Canada is illegal, but rarely prosecuted.

The state governments of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Washington support buying drugs from Canada.

To search for mail-order pharmacies online without including those located in Canada, do a search for this phrase: mail order pharmacies -Canadian

Related articles
Generic drugs
How to save on professional services
Medication assistance for low incomes
Splitting pills
Medicaid and mental health
Medicare and health

Sources include:
AARP Magazine
Consumer Health Information Corporation

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