Consumers have many choices to save money on prescription drugs – National Consumers League

From 2011 to 2012 prices for brand name drugs increased in price by an average of 13 percent. As healthcare costs continue to rise, all indications are prescription drugs will rise in cost as well. The good news is consumers have more resources than ever to help them save money on their prescriptions. The easiest way consumers can save money is by finding out whether a generic or non-brand name drug is available.  Generic drugs contain the same active ingredients in the same dosages as brand name drugs, but they cost far less.

Another resource available to consumers is co-pay cards. The co-pay on any prescription is a fixed amount of money that insurance companies ask consumers to pay for a specific drug. By using a co-pay card that sum of money can be greatly reduced or eliminated. There are a variety of co-pay cards available. Consumers can also save money using drug discount cards which are often available online. These cards are offered by state governments, pharmacies, non-profit groups, pharmaceutical companies or large retail chain stores. To compare prices and see which medications are covered by which cards you can visit freecopay.com, needymeds.org, or familywize.org.

To find out more about discount and co-pay cards visit the National Consumers League Web site at nclnet.org. Be wary of any discount card that requires a fee up front because those fees may cost more than the prescription itself.