Medication savings: simple steps to lower your prescription bills

Prescription costs can eat up a budget fast. If you want to spend less without risking your health, these tips work right away. Read them, try a few, and you could see real savings on the next refill.

Quick wins you can use today

Compare pharmacy prices. Call or check online prices at local and mail-order pharmacies before you refill. Prices often differ a lot between shops. Use price-check tools or apps to see where the same drug is cheapest.

Ask for a generic. Generic drugs contain the same active ingredient and usually cost much less. For many meds, switching to generic cuts your price by 60–80%. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if a generic option is available and appropriate.

Use coupons and discount cards. Manufacturer coupons and third-party discount cards can lower out-of-pocket costs for brand-name medications. Print or show the coupon code at checkout. Even if you have insurance, compare the copay to the coupon price—sometimes the coupon is cheaper.

Buy 90-day supplies. If your medication is stable and safe for long-term use, ask for a 90-day supply. Many pharmacies and insurers offer lower per-pill costs for longer supplies and fewer dispensing fees.

Longer-term strategies that add up

Check your insurance formulary. A formulary lists drugs covered by your plan and their tiered copays. If your medication sits in a high tier, your doctor may be able to prescribe a therapeutic alternative on a lower tier. Call your plan’s customer service to learn which options cost less.

Talk to your prescriber about alternatives. Sometimes a different drug in the same class works just as well and costs less. Bring price info to your appointment so your doctor can help pick a cheaper option.

Explore patient assistance programs. Drug makers and charities offer help for people who can’t afford certain medicines. Each program has its rules, but you can qualify even with modest income. The application may take time, but the savings can be large for chronic or specialty meds.

Consider pill-splitting and dose adjustments—carefully. For some drugs, a higher-dose pill can be split safely to make two doses. This can cut costs, but always check with your doctor and pharmacist first—some meds are not safe to split or use unevenly.

Buy from a trusted online or international pharmacy only with a prescription. Lower-cost options exist, but safety matters. Verify pharmacy credentials, require prescriptions, and skip sites that sell controlled drugs without a prescription.

Keep a medication wallet. Track expiration dates, ask about samples, and schedule reviews with your pharmacist to avoid paying for meds you no longer need. Small steps like this stop waste and keep your spending down.

Start with the quick wins and add longer-term moves when you can. If you want, use NowRx.com to compare drug info and savings tips for specific medicines. Talk to your healthcare team before making changes to prescriptions.