Not all doctors are familiar with drug prices. A recent study found that, although doctors know that the cost of the drugs they're prescribing is important to you, many don't know the price of even common medications. Compounding the problem are wide price differences depending on whether you have prescription drug insurance, a prescription drug discount card, and where you get your prescription filled.

To save money, ask:

1. Do I really need another prescription? The more drugs you take at one time, the greater the danger of a dangerous drug interaction. Find out if there is something else you can do. Can you accomplish the same result with a dietary or exercise change?
2. Is there a less expensive alternative? Chances are there may be more than one drug to treat your specific condition. Find out if there's a generic available. If there's no generic, find out if there's an older, less expensive drug to treat the same condition.
3. Always ask for free samples, including generics. Free samples allow both you and your doctor to test a new drug therapy and determine how effective it is for you.
4. Would you qualify for a pharmacy assistance program using one drug versus another? Many drug manufacturers offer prescription drugs at no charge to seniors who meet certain income criteria. An alternate drug may be covered under a pharmacy assistance program while another that also is suitable for you may not be. Information about pharmacy assistance programs can be found on the Medicare web site at http://www.medicare.gov.

A directory of pharmaceutical company assistance programs including the manufacturer, the name of drug, eligibility criteria, and application information can be found in the book, "Consumer Reports Complete Guide to Health Services For Seniors," by Trudy Lieberman & The Editors of Consumer Reports, $19.95, or check your library.

Source: "Most Doctors Don't Know Prescriptions' Cost," Tom Graham, "The Washington Post," October 15, 2000.

If you would like to read more about how to save money on prescription drugs, click here to read "Can Drug Discount Cards Save You Money?" http://www.tscl.org/NewContent/101425.asp.

April 2002