Prescription Medication Savings Plans – Could They Save You More?

Joan Westcott, PharmD Candidate 2010

Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Albany NY

Prepared during Consumer Health Information Corporation Clerkship

McLean, VA

We all know these are tough economic times. Many people do not have adequate health insurance and some do not have health insurance at all. When people are forced to pay for their medical costs out-of-pocket, many decide to delay treatment in the hope that they will get better on their own. This is risky since many diseases become worse and end up costing far more to treat later. 

Many people do not know that some pharmacies offer prescription drug plans that can help lower prescription drug costs. These are some ways you can work with your healthcare provider and pharmacist to lower your prescription drug costs. Most of these programs are intended for the uninsured; however, many people with insurance can also benefit from a pharmacy prescription drug plan.  All of our local pharmacies offer a prescription drug plan, but they vary greatly from pharmacy to pharmacy. Franklin and St. Lawrence County also have a prescription drug savings card that covers residents of both these counties. If you are not from the St. Lawrence County area, check to see if your local pharmacies have pharmacy prescription drug plans. 

But I have insurance, so why do I care?  
 

There are many reasons one of these pharmacy prescription drug plans may be of benefit to you or someone you know.  
 

• In some cases, these plans may allow you to fill your prescriptions more cheaply than your insurance copay.
  
  
• If you have a pet that needs a prescription, all of these plans can be used for pets.
  
  
• You or someone you know may have a Medicare Part D plan and wish to stay out of the “donut hole.” The “donut hole” is when your Medicare Part D plans stops covering your prescription medications. This means you will be paying full price for your medications. Some of these plans can be used to avoid the dreaded “donut hole.” One thing to remember is that pharmacy prescription drug plan enrollment fees and copays do not count toward your Medicare Part D out-of-pocket expenses. 
  
  

How to Choose a Pharmacy Prescription Drug Plan

• The first thing to do is make a list of all the medications you and your family members fill on a regular basis.
  
• Gather your prescription drug receipts so you know how much you have been paying.
  
  
• Pick up a print out of each pharmacy’s plan or print it off the Internet.
  
  
• Now comes the math. If this seems like too confusing, take your medication list to the pharmacy. The pharmacist can help you determine which of your medications you would save money on. Do not forget to figure in enrollment fees if the plan has one.

It seems natural to comparison shop for groceries and cars, but not medications. It is just as important, or more important, to comparison shop for medications. Remember to ask the pharmacist to use the St. Lawrence County or Franklin County discount card for medications not on the pharmacy prescription drug discount plan.  

Depending on the medications you take, an enrollment fee does not necessarily mean the plan will be more expensive. Kinney Drugs and Walgreens have enrollment fees. The other pharmacies do not have enrollment fees. Once you have chosen a pharmacy prescription drug plan, bring the printout of medications covered by the plan to your healthcare provider the next time you see them. Show them the printout and ask if any of these medications can be used in place of some of your more expensive ones. Also, if they are going to prescribe a new medication, ask if any of the ones on the list are suitable.

One last word of caution: while you may need to see several healthcare providers, it is always best to use one pharmacy. Once you have chosen a pharmacy prescription drug plan, stick with that pharmacy. The pharmacist can then keep track of all your medications to monitor for any drug interactions or duplications in therapy. Still have questions? Talk with your pharmacist. They are your partner in making the most of your medications and prescription dollars.

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