“Save at the Pharmacy” Book Just Released

I am pleased to announce the release of my new book “Save at the Pharmacy – A practical guide to reduce medication costs”. This is my first book and I wrote it to help people find more affordable ways to get the medications they need. In this post I am going to give you some of the information that is contained in the book. Here are some ways to save money at your next visit to the pharmacy.

Talk to your doctor

This is the very first thing you need to do. If the doctor is not aware that cost is an issue for you, they will not usually take this into consideration. Doctors are faced with a large array of medications to treat some conditions. Often times, many of the choices work equally well. If you tell them that you want a less expensive option, they will often try to accommodate the request.

Do you really need the medication?

Many people often assume when a doctor writes a prescription that they definitely need to take it. But sometimes the doctor will write a prescription simply because they believe the patient expects one. When you visit the doctor, let them know you are not expecting to get a prescription unless they feel there is a definite need for one in order for you to get better. When they do write a prescription ask if there may be an alternative course of treatment which would work for your condition.

Is there an alternative?

Many times there are several classes of medications which will all treat the condition equally well. Sometimes an alternative class of medications will be less expensive. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to see if this applies to your medicine.

Avoid free samples

These are enticing because they are free. The problem here is they can increase costs in the long run. If your condition becomes stable on one of these treatments, you and your doctor will be reluctant to switch to another drug when the samples run out. These medications generally cost more than some other medications which may have been on the market longer and have generic equivalent options available.

Use manufacturer loyalty cards

Some manufacturers provide loyalty cards through the doctors office or online. These cards will reduce the copay you pay through your insurance. They often are reusable for 6 to 12 months. Over time these can provide substantial savings. I have posted a short list of drugs which have loyalty cards here. Here is a recent customer’s example. Nexium through insurance costs $40.00 copay but there is a $30.00 loyalty card available. This card reduces the copay by $30.00 to make it $10.00. The card is good for 6 refills for a total savings of $180.00.

Sign up for a discount card

Everyone can benefit from prescription discount cards. The uninsured are the primary group that can benefit from these cards but there are benefits for the insured also. The benefit of one of these cards when you have insurance is best seen when a drug is not covered by the plan. In this case, you can use the discount card to avoid paying full price on the medication. A lesser known benefit to the discount card is when you have generic medications that carry a standard copay such as $10.00. Depending on the medication and the discount card, it could be less expensive to purchase a 3 month’s supply using the discount card than paying $10.00 each month using the insurance card. Get a free discount card here.

These are just a few of the money saving tips covered in the book.

Here is the link Save at the Pharmacy.

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Save Money With Prescription Drug Discount Cards

Many people have never heard of a prescription drug discount card. This is unfortunate as they may be missing out on potentially substantial savings at the pharmacy. Millions of people across the country are saving money on prescription medications by using these discount cards.

What is a Prescription Drug Discount Card?

A prescription drug discount card is exactly like it sounds. It is a card that provides a discount on prescription medications at the pharmacy. These cards should not be confused with prescription insurance coverage. They provide no benefit beyond simple discounts to the consumer. That being stated, these cards can provide substantial savings given the right circumstances.

How do prescription discount cards work?

Generally anyone can sign up for a prescription discount card. There is usually no qualifying needed. You can get one regardless of age, income health conditions or coverage by insurance. Once you have the card you can use it at any participating pharmacy. Present the card to the pharmacy staff when you drop off the prescription. The discount is given by the pharmacy on your medications by reducing the profit margin made by the pharmacy.

You win by getting a discount on your medications and saving money without having to shop around. The pharmacy wins by attracting more business, filling more prescriptions and potentially selling other items. This is known as companion sales.

Many of these drug discount cards have no sign up fees and no monthly fees although a few do carry a small fee.

Who should get a discount card?

Pretty much everyone should get a discount card. You never know when you may need it. The primary group of people who should get a discount card is the uninsured. In my practice, about 10% of prescriptions are filled for people with no prescription drug coverage. If you fall into this group, then a prescription discount card is a must.

Even those who have prescription drug coverage can benefit from these pharmacy cards. Most insurance plans have a list of medications they do not cover. In this case a discount card would prevent your having to pay the full retail price if you still choose to purchase the medication. Also, sometimes your insurance company has a specific copay. For example, you may pay $10.00 for a 30 days supply of a generic medication. But if you were to use a discount card, you could end up getting a 3 month supply for $10.00 to $15.00 depending on the medication.

People covered under Medicare part D can definitely benefit from a discount card. Sleep medications and anxiety medications are often not covered under these plans. Using a pharmacy prescription discount card for these medications would reduce the out of pocket costs for these drugs.

How to you get a prescription discount card?

There are many places you can get a discount card. Many employers already provide them to their employees. Check with your job to see if there is one available where you work.

Also, many states and cities are offering prescription discount cards to their residents. Check with your local governments to see if they have a program.

Another place you can get one is from large companies you already do business with. For example, sometimes banks provide them to their account holders. AAA has a plan available to its customers and AARP also has a discount card available. There are many more companies who provide these valuable benefits to their customers.

One of the easiest ways to get a prescription discount card is to visit www.Pharmerdon.com. There you can fill out a very basic form and print yourself a discount card in less than two minutes. This card is free. There is no sign up or monthly fees. It can be used at over 40,000 pharmacies across the county. Savings can be anywhere from 10% to well over 50% depending on the medication. Here is the direct link to the signup page for the pharmacy prescription discount card.

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CDC Promotes Get Smart About Antibiotics Program

Due to an increase in antibiotic resistance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a program to educate the general public and health professionals about this growing problem. Their goal is to provide information about the appropriate use of antibiotics. The name of the program is Get smart, know when antibiotics work.

Every year millions of people visit their doctors due to cold and flu symptoms, sore throats and bronchitis. Both the common cold and the flu are caused by viral infections. Often times people expect the doctor to write a prescription for an antibiotic to treat their cold symptoms. The problem with this is that antibiotics are not effective in treating a viral infection. Antibiotics are only effective in treating bacterial infections.

Despite this fact, doctors often feel pressure to give patients antibiotics when they are not indicated. In a recent issue of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) 13% of doctors admit to using antibiotics as a placebo. A placebo is a treatment or medication that the doctor does not expect will make a difference in the outcome beyond the patients positive belief that the treatment will work.

The CDC is trying to help consumers understand when it is appropriate to use antibiotics and when they provide no benefit. They say taking antibiotics when you have a viral infection may do more harm than good putting you at increased risk for antibiotic resistant infections. When bacteria are exposed to antibiotics, then can change in various ways and become resistant to the antibiotics they have been exposed to and sometimes to others in the same class. The next time they are exposed to the antibiotic, the drug is less effective or not at all effective and the bacteria continue to grow.

To avoid the development of resistant bacteria it is important to know which conditions should not be treated by antibiotics. The CDC says infections that are caused by viruses should not be treated with antibiotics. These conditions include colds, flu, most coughs and bronchitis, sore throats (except strep throat) and some ear infections.

The CDC feels strongly about preventing the development of resistant bacteria because these resistant bacteria can spread quickly from person to person threatening the community with difficult to treat infections. The CDC has gone as far as sending letters to many major retailers raising concerns about some of their antibiotic promotions. Large chains like Giant Food Stores, Meijer, Publix, ShopRite, Stop & Shop and Wegmans are promoting free antibiotics. Some of these retailers have tied their promotions to the cold and flu season. These free antibiotic promotions are putting even more pressure on doctors to prescribe medications when they are not needed. Also, sometimes doctors are being asked to write for an antibiotic from the free list when they feel a different antibiotic would be more effective given the clinical presentation of the patient.

In my practice I encounter patients who believe they need an antibiotic to treat a cold. It is this perception the CDC is attempting to change. Any promotion that competes with the CDC’s efforts needs to be re-evaluated. Some of these companies have claimed they want to help people by giving away needed medications. Although well intentioned, the risks to the community probably outweigh the benefit to the few they may have helped. I believe choosing a different class of drugs to promote would provide more help to people without the possible negative outcomes. A good example of a different class of drugs which would provide real benefits is heart medications.

Here is a video explaining the development of antibacterial resistance

Learn more at the CDC website about antibacterial resistance.

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Over the Counter Treatment Of Seasonal Allergies

According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology seasonal allergies (aka hay fever) affect over 35 million Americans and results in 16 million visits yearly to the doctor. Symptoms often appear at about the same time every year and can include runny nose, sneezing, congestion and itching in the ears, eyes, nose and throat. Seasonal allergies are usually triggered by airborne pollen from trees grass and weeds and from mold spores.

Allergy

An allergic reaction is the bodies over-reaction to substances in the environment. These substances are often called allergens because they cause the allergic reaction. The symptoms of an allergic reaction are very similar to that of a cold but a cold will usually resolve in 7 to 10 days while an allergic reaction can last for weeks or even months. Also the nasal discharge during a cold is often thick and yellow but in an allergic reaction it is thin and clear.

Treatments

Treatment for allergies can be as simple as using over the counter products or it can include visits to the allergist for allergy skin tests and immunotherapy (allergy shots). This article focuses on over the counter therapy. If you do not find relief from these suggestions you should seek further assistance from your doctor.

Histamine

When exposed to an allergen, the body responds in several ways, including producing extra histamine. Histamine causes inflammation, swelling, a runny nose, sneezing and itching. Histamine also narrows airways in the lungs (constricts bronchi) and increases stomach acid secretion.

Antihistamines

This class of medications is a good starting point for treatment of seasonal allergies. There are several over the counter antihistamines available, many of which were once only available by prescription. They work by blocking the action of histamine in the body.

Antihistamines are generally separated into first and second generation agents. The first generation antihistamines are considered to be sedating while the second generation agents are commonly known as non-sedating. In reality, all antihistamines have the potential to cause drowsiness.

Some of the more popular first generation antihistamines are diphenhydramine (Benadryl), chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), clemastine (Tavist) and doxylamine (Unisom). Doxylamine and diphenhydramine are so sedating they are commonly marketed as sleep aids. Clemastine is less sedating than these and chlorpheniramine is less sedating than clemastine. A benefit to these antihistamines is their ability to decrease mucus production in the nose due to their strong anticholinergic side effects.

The second generation antihistamines include cetirizine (Zyrtec), and loratadine (Claritin). They are much less sedating than first generation antihistamines and are dosed once daily. They also have fewer side effects but as a result they are less likely to dry up a runny nose.

Check with your doctor before using antihistamines if you have glaucoma, prostate problems, emphysema, bronchitis or you are taking sedatives.

Decongestants

Since congestion is one of the symptoms of allergies, it makes sense to use this class of medication to get some relief. There are only two oral decongestants available over the counter. They are phenylephrine (Sudafed) and pseudoephedrine (Sudafed PE). They work by constricting blood vessels. This in turn results in shrinking of the nasal mucosa (the mucus membranes) allowing more air to pass, improving drainage and a less stuffy feeling.

Decongestants can also be found in nasal sprays such as oxymetazoline (Afrin). They can provide more immediate relief oral decongestants but the nasal sprays should not be used for more than 2 to 3 days due to worsening of congestion after stopping. This is known as rebound congestion.

Talk to your doctor before using decongestants if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, thyroid disease or diabetes.

Combination Antihistamine Decongestants

There are many combination products on the market. There may be a benefit to taking a combination product because the two classes of medications work together to improve symptoms. Have your pharmacist help you select a combination product that is right for you. As an alternative, you could buy a decongestant and an antihistamine separately and take both together. An advantage to doing it this way is you can selectively take one or the other or both together depending on your symptoms.

Nasal Irrigation

This is a good alternative therapy for seasonal allergies. It is an ancient technique of using a salt solution to bathe or wash the nasal passages. The theory is by washing away the allergens and mucus you improve normal function and decrease inflammation. Read more about nasal irrigation.

Cromolyn Nasal Spray

Cromolyn nasal spray (Nasalcrom) is a less commonly used medication. It can be used in combination with other treatments. Cromolyn helps stabilize mast cells. These are the cells that over react to pollen or other allergens causing the allergy problems. Buy stabilizing these cells, they release less inflammatory chemicals such as histamine. In order for cromolyn nasal spray to be effective it must be used several times a day. Symptoms may take 1 to 2 weeks before they improve. Do not use to treat sinus infections, asthma or cold symptoms.

Local Honey

An alternative therapy for allergies involves eating 1 to 2 teaspoons a day of local honey. Local honey is defined as honey made within 30 to 300 miles (depending on who you talk to) from where you live. Bees make honey from plant pollen (often the same ones causing allergies). The theory is that continuous daily exposure to the pollen in the honey decreases the chance you will react to it when exposed in the air. Some people swear by this but the studies that have been performed do not support it according to this article. http://www.aaaai.org/aadmc/ate/category.asp?cat=988

Conclusion

There are lots of treatments available for seasonal allergies. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, start your treatment a few weeks before your symptoms usually start and continue through the allergy season. If the above treatments do not provide relief you will need to seek the advice of a doctor.

Here are a couple of good resources

Check out your local pollen counts www.pollen.com or National Allergy Bureau

According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology

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