12 QUESTIONS to Ask Before Filling a PRESCRIPTION

Save money by enlisting help from your doctor, insurance company and pharmacist.

ASK YOUR DOCTOR

1. Why are you prescribing this specific medicine?

Your doctor should fully describe the benefits you’ll get— and how soon—so you don’t waste money on a drug that’s not working.

2. Is there a lower-cost generic?

Generics can save you from 20 to 70 percent and sometimes more. In a recent price review, a generic cholesterol medication cost $5, compared to $230 for a brand-name drug.

3. Is there an over-the-counter alternative?

It pays to know you can buy allergy nasal sprays Flonase or Nasacort for less than $20, compared to around $150 to $300 for brandname options.

4. Do you have free samples?

I asked my own doctor this, and was given $1,080 worth of a new nonaddictive painkiller. (My pharmacy was charging $20 per pill.) Drug makers routinely leave samples for doctors.

5. Do you have a manufacturers’ discount card for the drug?

Savings cards could allow you to try an expensive $500 drug, such as AbbVie’s testosterone booster AndroGel, for as little as $10 for an entire month.

6. Is it OK to split the pill, or take it every other day, to cut costs?

Never do this without checking with your doctor.

7. Could you write the prescription for 14 days or less?

If your doctor is suggesting a brand-name drug (which, on average, can cost four times as much as generics), ask for a 14-day supply to start, so you can see if it helps before shelling out for more.

S usan Timoney of New Port Richey, Fla., was paying $20 a month for her blood pressure medicine until her doctor mentioned a better idea: She should ask her pharmacy about discounts. Many chains offer a few common generics free or deeply discounted—but you might miss out on such savings if you never speak up. Here are 12 questions to ask to get the treatment you need at the best possible price.

8. Is my drug on your deep-discount generics list—in any dosage?

Recently a New Jersey chain store was selling a 90-day supply of the 20 mg antidepressant paroxetine for $10. But the 25 mg extended-release version was selling for $321.84. Asking can pay off!

9. Can I save by buying the medication from you directly?

The pharmacist can check your cash price against what you’d owe under your insurance plan. This can be especially helpful if you have a high-deductible plan.

10. Can you steer me to assistance programs from the drug manufacturer, nonprofit groups or the government?

Many pharmacies can do this. In some cases, these programs will cover the entire cost of expensive drugs, including cancer medicines costing more than $500 a day.

ASK YOUR INSURER

11. What are your “preferred” drug stores near me?

Since pharmacies, like any other merchant, can set their own prices, the same medication could go for anywhere from $4 to $400 in your area. Your insurer’s “preferred” stores should offer the best prices.

12. Is my drug on your approved list?

This is critical if you have to take a costly specialty drug for a serious illness. If your insurer refuses to cover the drug because it isn’t on its approved list, ask your doctor to help you appeal.