Consumer Health Information Corporation: Be Prepared

Ways to Safely Cut Your Medicine Costs

Julie M. Bullock
Doctor of Pharmacy Candidate 2002
Drake University

Many people can relate to the recent decline of the nation’s economy. The nightly news is filled with headlines of company layoffs and poor stock market trends. The rising cost of health care and prescription medicines is not easing many worries. For some, insurance may be lost after a layoff. Others might fear not being able to afford their current medicines. Either way, many people are looking for ways to save money at the pharmacy. Here is one way a patient tried to save himself some money.

Dwight’s Story
Dwight W. has high blood pressure and for a year he has been taking a prescription medicine to control it. About three months ago, Dwight lost his job. With that he lost his prescription coverage. Each month his blood pressure medicine cost him $10. This is his normal insurance co-pay for a brand name medicine. However, since he no longer has insurance he has to pay $50 a month.
Dwight is starting to worry that he cannot afford $50 every month. He decides to take his blood pressure medicine every other day so that his prescription will last longer. However, Dwight did not realize that skipping his doses could worsen his condition.
The next time Dwight had his blood pressure checked at the doctor’s office, it was higher than it had been before he started taking the medicine. His doctor couldn’t understand this since according to Dwight nothing in his lifestyle had changed. The doctor decided to increase the dose of his high blood pressure medicine. Dwight now has to spend even more money than before at the pharmacy because the higher dose costs more.
When Dwight brought in the new prescription, his pharmacist wondered why his dose had been increased. The pharmacist checked his patient record and noted that Dwight had only been refilling his blood pressure medicine every sixty days. This made the pharmacist question how often Dwight was taking the medicine. Dwight explained that he could not afford the medicine and that he was trying to make his pills last him longer than a month.
Dwight’s pharmacist talked to his physician and informed him that Dwight was not taking his medicine correctly. When his doctor realized that Dwight could not afford his medicine he decided to change him to a cheaper medicine. His doctor decided a cheaper medicine would better for Dwight considering his situation. The pharmacist also spoke to Dwight about healthy changes like losing weight and stopping smoking. He didn’t realize that changing these habits could help reduce his blood pressure and possibly decrease the dose of his medicine.

What could have Dwight done?
Dwight could have told his doctor how he was taking his medicine. If Dwight told his doctor that he was only taking his medicine every other day, his doctor would have had reason to believe this was why his blood pressure was high again. This way his doctor could have had a better idea on how to treat his high blood pressure at that visit. The change to a higher dose of Dwight’s current medicine would not have been necessary. Being honest about how you are taking your medicine and how you feel about taking the medicine is very important. This way the doctor can see if the medicine is working for you.

Dwight could have talked with his doctor or pharmacist about his concerns with his medicine. If Dwight would have told his doctor or pharmacist about the high cost of his medicine, they could have done something to help him before cost became a problem.

If you cannot afford the medicine, your doctor might be able to prescribe you another that is cheaper. You might also have concerns about the number of times you take your dose, or if the medicine has annoying side effects. Talking with your doctor about these issues can help him make better decisions concerning your treatment.

Dwight could start adding healthy changes to his life. Since Dwight is a smoker and is overweight, adding healthy lifestyle changes could decrease his need for his blood pressure medicine. There are many ways to add healthy changes to your life. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about what you can do to be a healthier patient!

Dwight could have told his doctor that he does not have insurance. This would have helped his doctor prescribe medicines that would be affordable for Dwight. If you have insurance, it is important for your doctor to know what plan you use at the pharmacy. This way your doctor can choose a medicine that will be covered by your plan.

Dwight could have continued to take his medicine as directed by his doctor. Dwight should have contacted his doctor before he decided to change his dose. This way, the doctor could have helped Dwight at the beginning instead of months later when his condition had worsened.

Taking your medicines as directed will help you, your doctor, and your pharmacist decide which medicines are working for you. If you stop your medicine, decrease your dose, or skip doses, this could keep you from getting the full benefit of the medicine and your condition could get worse. Your physician might see this as a reason to increase your dose or add another medicine. In the long run, this could cost you more money. Also, you should never change your dose by cutting your medicines in half without instruction from your doctor. Some medicines like timed-release tablets have a special coating to help the medicine work correctly. If you were to cut a tablet like this in half, you could be in danger of not getting the correct dose.