Abilify® is a prescription medication used along with other medications to treat depression. Adults who have been taking an antidepressant for 6 weeks or more and still feel depressed, can be given Abilify® (aripiprazole) in addition to their current antidepressant to improve effectiveness.

The problem is, for many people, Abilify® is very expensive. This can still be true for people with prescription insurance. The copay for this medication can be very high.

The makers of Abilify®, Bristil-Myers Squibb, have a solution to make it more affordable. They offer an Abilify® Savings Card to help with the costs.

The Abilify® Savings Card can help adult  patients new to Abilify® and entitles commercially-insured patients to a 30-day FREE trial and continued monthly savings of up to $100 per refill. The program is good for up to 17 refills and could reduce the costs of the medications to as little as $25 per refill.
Thos who may not be eligible for this program include:

• Those who have filled an Abilify® prescription in the last 60 days.
• Those covered by any state or federally funded programs such as Medicare or Medicaid.
• Residents of the state of Massachusetts.

Those who do qualify could stand to save a substantial amount of money while getting the therapy needed.

You can find out more about the Abilify® saving program here.

For those taking other medications including other antidepressants, they can save money with a free prescription drug card.

Many people have never heard of these savings cards. 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 prescription drug cards.

What you need to know
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 they work?
Generally anyone can sign up for a pharmacy saving 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 cards have no sign up fees and no monthly fees although a few do carry a small fee.

Who should get one of these cards?
Pretty much everyone should get a pharmacy saving card. You never know when you may need it. The primary group of people who should get a one 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 this is a must.

Even those who have prescription drug coverage can benefit from these. Most insurance plans have a list of medications they do not cover. In this case having one would prevent your needing 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 this 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 pharmacy card. Sleep medications and anxiety medications are often not covered under these plans. Using a pharmacy prescription card for these medications would reduce the out of pocket costs for these drugs.

How to you get one?
There are many places you can get one. 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 programs to their residents. Check with your local governments to see if they have one.

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 A.A.R.P. also has a card available. There are many more companies who provide these valuable benefits to their customers.

One of the easiest ways to get one is to get one online at prescriptiondrugcard.org. There you can fill out a very basic form and print one for yourself in less than two minutes. This card is free. There is no sign up or monthly fees. Get your prescription drug card now.

Read more
Filed under: pharmacy ]]> http://pharmerdon.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/what-is-blood-pressure-an-overview/feed/ 0 pharmerdon http://pharmerdon.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/helpful-links/ http://pharmerdon.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/helpful-links/#comments Tue, 27 Sep 2011 03:10:25 +0000 http://pharmerdon.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/helpful-links/ ]]> Read more
Filed under: pharmacy ]]> http://pharmerdon.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/helpful-links/feed/ 0 pharmerdon http://pharmerdon.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/stay-tuned-for-important-information/ http://pharmerdon.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/stay-tuned-for-important-information/#comments Tue, 27 Sep 2011 03:06:46 +0000 http://pharmerdon.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/stay-tuned-for-important-information/ ]]> Read more
Filed under: pharmacy ]]> http://pharmerdon.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/stay-tuned-for-important-information/feed/ 0 pharmerdon http://pharmerdon.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/change-your-diet-to-lower-blood-pressure/ http://pharmerdon.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/change-your-diet-to-lower-blood-pressure/#comments Sun, 25 Sep 2011 11:51:15 +0000 http://pharmerdon.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/change-your-diet-to-lower-blood-pressure/ ]]> Read more
Filed under: pharmacy ]]> http://pharmerdon.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/change-your-diet-to-lower-blood-pressure/feed/ 0 pharmerdon