Prescription drugs can relieve suffering and save lives, but

paying for them, with or without insurance, can be a major cause of stress.

Pharmacists know a thing or two about pills, so we’ve asked a few local medicine maestros to share their tips on saving money on meds while still protecting your health.

Go generic

Ask your pharmacy about generic drug programs. For example, Wal-Mart sells prescription drugs for a variety of conditions with no sign-ups or income qualifications. A typical 30-day supply usually costs $4, and 90-day supplies are usually $10. Other pharmacies may also offer discounts if you ask about them.

Generics are considered “drug equivalents,” which have the same active ingredients and dosages as their brand-name counterparts, and are rigorously tested by the Food and Drug Administration.

Insurance companies may also recommend “therapeutic equivalents,” which are different drugs that promise the same outcomes, such as lowering cholesterol. Ask your doctor if a therapeutic equivalent or generic is appropriate for you.

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Free samples may be good in the short-term, but since they’re offered as a promotion by drug companies there usually isn’t a generic alternative available.

If the available generic medications don’t work well for you, ask your doctor for a free sample of the drug that is preferred by your insurance. These “lower-tier” drugs may have lower copays.

Be conscientious

Follow instructions about when to take your medications and whether to take them with food. Not taking them as directed can decrease their effectiveness — or make you ill.

Stopping the tobacco habit may also save you money on medications, not to mention on tobacco. Smokers metabolize medicines more quickly, so they have to take more medication to get the same effect.

Get a medication box, and put in your pills ahead of time so you don’t forget what to take or when to take it. Many containers have multiple compartments for different medications and different times of the day.

Beware the blade

Cutting pills in half to make your prescription last longer might seem tempting, but cutting has its hazards.

Cutting a gelatin-coated capsule, for example, will release the powder inside, and most people can’t precisely split it in half.

Hard tablets have an “enteric coating,” which prevents the medication from being released until it passes a certain point in the digestive system.

Others may have a “wax matrix” coating and a small opening to release the medication over time, rather than all at once.

In any of these cases, cutting the pills would make them less effective.

You might also crush pills if you cut them wrong, which wastes money.

Bulk meds aren’t always better

Buying a few months’ worth of medication may be a good way to save money later on, but start with a short-term supply until you and your doctor can discuss a medication’s effectiveness.

People’s bodies change, especially with new medications. You might need a different dose or a different type of medication next month, so don’t buy in bulk until you’re sure what works.

Medications stored indoors can be sensitive to temperature, humidity and light, which reduces their effectiveness, so if you buy a long-term supply, take care how you store them.

Finally, let your doctor know that cost is a factor for you, and talk to him or her about alternative therapies such as changing your diet, getting more exercise, and getting enough sleep — none of which need to cost any money.

SOURCES: Tony Paton, pharmacy manager at Wal-Mart in Santa Maria, and Chhitu Patel, owner of JDX Pharmacy in Santa Maria and Fair Oaks Pharmacy in Arroyo Grande.

Chhitu Patel, owner of JDX Pharmacy in Santa Maria and Fair Oaks Pharmacy in Arroyo Grande, says patients must look at the bigger picture when deciding how to save money on medications.

“Sometimes (certain) pills may cost more, but sometimes people feel like they can get a cheaper one,” Patel said. “That can turn into an ER visit or hospitalization.”

To save money, patients should also make sure they order their medication refills well before they run out.

“We also see where they get the medicines in the mail, and it doesn’t come on time, so they have to spend more to get it locally,” Patel said. “We see it every day. They spend more to get extra, because the insurance won’t pay for the extra ones.”

Bettina Adragna can be reached at 739-2220 or at badragna@santamariatimes.com.

August 3, 2008