As you may already know, paying for prescription drugs can put a major hole in your wallet, even if you're just paying a co-payment.
But there's a new way to save money, possibly even get prescription drugs for free, and it's one, physicians and pharmacists say, not many people are aware of.
NBC's Holly Hollingsworth has details.
From Viagra to allergy medications, from weight-loss drugs to Prozac, you can save five, ten, fifteen dollars, you can get a week's worth, a month, even three months worth of medication for free.
How?
Drug manufacturers are taking the next step in Marketing 101. They're offering coupons.
Ernest Boyd: "For the most part, patients don't know to ask for a coupon.'
This savings tactic is not quite as simple as clipping a coupon out of the newspaper for your favorite breakfast cereal or laundry detergent. These coupons and rebates are a relatively new approach, and you've got to do some work to find them.
Ernest Boyd: "And sometimes pharmacies have them, sometimes physician offices...ah, that's a good idea, it saves money."
Ernest Boyd of the Ohio Pharmacists Association says the pharmacy and your doctor's office are the two key places to find the coupons.
Target-4 found 16 types of medication that are offering them, but you do have to ask for the coupons.
Doctors agree, they may not always bring it up.
Dr. Don McNeil: "And if we're seeing a bunch of patients then, to be able to provide them with every coupon for every product is probably unreasonable."
The internet is a third and very effective place to find these offers. Panathol has a ten dollar rebate. Advair offers free rescue inhalers. Flonase will give you five dollars off each refill.
Some of these rebates or special offers do have strings attached. In order to get a five dollar coupon for Ortho Tricyclen, the patient has to fill in their age, name, and mailing address in an on-line questionnaire.
The makers of Lipitor actually send you a detailed survey, asking about your cholesterol levels, your diet, your exercise, and what other prescriptions you might be taking, in order for you to get ten dollars back.
The fourth, final, and newest place to find a coupon offer, is in your favorite magazine. Publications like "Better Homes and Gardens" "Prevention," and "Ladies Home Journal" are filled with advertising for prescriptions, and some of those ads now include cards you mail, handing them more and more types of coupons to hand out.
Ernest Boyd: "That's going to be very difficult. And I'm sure it's the same for physicians.
We have enough work to do, to find...find the medications and get them properly...and get all the advice to the patient."
There are a couple of other things to be aware of, before you go looking for prescription coupons. One of the most popular offers is a 7-day free trial. In some cases, that coupon's probably worth about $14 - $15. But doctors warn, don't be fooled into thinking you're going to solve your medical problems in a week.
Dr. Don McNeil: "We generally say that it takes several weeks to get the full benefit of a medication. But 7 days for most people is probably adequate to at least begin to feel some relief."
And the other concern-- pharmacists remind us the newest prescription medications are often the most expensive.
Ernest Boyd: "And when you get a coupon, you can pretty well be assured that it's one of the latest products that they're putting the coupon out on."
But if these are medications your doctor is suggesting for you, these can provide a big benefit for patients who are under-insured, can even take a bit out of the prescription co-pays for those who have coverage.
Be aware that some of these special offers or free trials are only available with a physician prescription.
Special offers available via internet:
Celebrex -- $5 rebate
Flonase -- Save $5 per refill
www.prevacid.com -- Free 7-day supply
Nasonex -- $5 rebate and buy-4-get-1-free
www.sonatasleep.com -- free 7-night supply
www.orthotricyclen.com -- $5 rebate
www.claritin.com/relief/rxrefills.html-- $5 rebate
Clarinex -- Free 7-day trial
Xenical -- Buy-3-months-get-3-months-free
Prozac -- Free one-month supply
www.rhinocortaqua.com/c/-- $10 rebate
May 23, 2002
