How to Get Free or Discount Prescription Medicines (Legally)

Even if you have pretty good medical insurance you may want to take advantage of some prescription programs designed to help get much-needed medicines where they will do the most help. It is true these programs have come under some criticism due to the controversy regarding overuse of prescription medicines, especially antibiotics. Still, if you or a family member is sick and you can save some money while getting treatment, why not try to do so?

Ask Your Doctor for Samples Most if not all of the pharmaceutical companies distribute free samples to doctors’ offices, hospitals, and clinics to encourage them to use these medicines in their practices. Although this is a basic marketing tactic intended to improve sales the Food and Drug Administration permits this practice because of the practical benefits to the medical community and society as a whole. By evaluating new drugs on the market for free doctors can make better-informed decisions about what to prescribe.

Your doctor may not have samples to provide you; or s/he may feel that other patients are in more need of the free samples. So please don’t be upset if they turn down your request. You may not be the right person to try a new medicine, either. A good doctor will take your medical history into consideration as much as possible. He may know that if you don’t tolerate a similar class of drugs well then the new medicines may not be a good match for you.

Ask Your Pharmacist for Free Samples Yes, some pharmacies provide free antibiotics and a few other medicines because they want you to be a regular customer. If they don’t have a free prescription program they may have a discount program you can sign up for. Always ask because you never know what alternatives a good pharmacist is prepared to recommend.

Get a Free Prescription Discount Card A national program at http://www.freerxhealthcard.com/ offers a nationwide discount card honored by many pharmacies. You may not be able to save money on every prescription with this program but it is better to have than not.

Try These Free Prescription Programs Despite the criticism you may see directed at Dr. Oz for promoting suspicious weight-loss compounds, he is still a practicing heart surgeon who operates every Thursday. As a qualified medical professional Dr. Oz continues to participate in science-based western medicine. You can find information on his Website about several free prescription programs you may qualify for. These are not for alternative medicines, but the prescriptions your doctor writes every day.

Visit a Free Clinic Most major metropolitan areas have one or more free clinics for people who lack health insurance and cannot afford to pay for urgent care. These clinics rely on community and corporation donations. They may also ask you pay as much as you can. In addition to seeing a qualified doctor or nurse, you may be able to get some medicines from these clinics. They will also prescribe generic medicines as much as possible.

Ask for Generic Medicines When the patent on a drug expires any qualified pharmaceutical company is allowed to make that medicine. Generic versions of brand-name medicines are very popular these days because they are so cheap compared to name-brand drugs. But even if there is not yet a generic version of the drug your doctor wants to prescribe, there may be an older, similar medicine from the same class of drugs for which a generic is available. Ask your doctor if there is not a less expensive alternative. But listen to your doctor’s advice carefully. Many older medicines have become less effective due to bacterial resistance and doctors may prefer to use more modern medicines to minimize the chance of making an already resistant strain stronger.

These are some of the best ideas I know for saving money on prescription medicines. I hope you find them useful. Most importantly, I hope you don’t need them at all.