Frequently Asked Questions
How can I find affordable prescriptions?
If you are looking for cheaper medication, you can consider asking your doctor if he can prescribe a cheaper, generic version of the medication you need.. Generic drugs consist of the same chemical compounds as their active counterparts, but are much cheaper because generic manufacturers do not pay research or marketing costs that name brand pharmaceutical companies pay.
Pharmaceutical companies have an exclusive right to manufacture drugs for 17 years, but after that point, any company may manufacture a generic version of the drug. As such, the newest prescriptions are not available in generic form, but many older, effective medicines are. Moreover, even if there is no generic version of the drug you want, there may be an older, much cheaper alternative that is only slightly less effective.
If there's no generic medicine to treat your condition, you can look into PAPs. Called at times prescriptions assistance programs and patient assistance programs, pharmaceutical companies use PAPs to distribute medication to lower income individuals at reduced or no cost. Because these are voluntary charity programs, the eligibility requirements vary by drug manufacturer, although typically these programs accept low-income individuals with no prescription drug insurance. For more information on finding an appropriate PAP, click here.
Discount medical plan organizations (DMPOs) will give you reduced rates on medications within an approved network. This means that you should take care to note that your DMPO covers the medication you need.
You may also be able to find drugs online or through pharmacies from other countries. Many people have begun to purchase medicine from online brokers based out of Canada, Mexico, China, India and other countries. These drugs will almost certainly be cheaper; the FDA cautions, however, that they may not receive the same manufacturing scrutiny and quality assurance as medicine sold in the United States.