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Cut Your Prescription Drug Costs Without Having to Buy Foreign Drugs
Save Up to 93% by Asking for a Generic - Use generics whenever they are available. Both brand name and generic drugs contain the same active ingredients, are the same in strength and dosage and meet the same government quality control standards. Savings on brand name vs. generic drugs will vary from drug to drug and pharmacy to pharmacy but can be significant. Some remarkable examples: * Prozac brand 20mg, 100 tablets cost $280.19 * Vasotec brand 5mg, 100 tablets costs $103.59 Ask Your Doctor is an Older Medication is as Effective - Often, physicians prescribe a newer drug that has been promoted as more effective. However, what this really means is that it is considerably more expensive. For example, newer antibiotics are often no more effective than the older antibiotics. A great generic broad-spectrum antibiotic can cost 80% less than a new antibiotic. Ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter (OTC, non-prescription) medicine - Sometimes an OTC medication can be as effective as the prescription, and if it is, chances are the OTC medicine will be considerably cheaper. For example, a one-month supply of Pepcid 20mg costs approximately $60. Pepcid AC, over-the-counter in 10mg strength (you would simply take two) costs approximately $23. Cut Your Costs in Half by Using a Pill Splitter - Most pharmacies stock pill splitters. Sometimes, medications can be broken in half and save you 50%. Why? Several pharmaceutical manufacturers price some of their medications the same for all strengths. For example, Lipitor is almost the same price for all strengths. It's possible to save as much as $100 on a one month supply of Lipitor just by getting the larger strength and cutting in half. Ask your pharmacist. If your medication can be split, make sure you check the figures. If the higher dose is less than double the cost for your regular dose then you will be saving money by having your doctor prescribe the higher dose and then splitting it. Disclaimer: Using a pill splitter is not appropriate for all medications and could be dangerous if done with the wrong medication. Always ask your doctor or pharmacist if there would be any problems with splitting the tablets or capsules. Ask your doctor for a "trial prescription" when starting a new medication - If the doctor does not have samples, ask your pharmacist to give you only a one-week supply to try. It is a federal law that medicines cannot be returned once they are dispensed. If you get a month's supply and can't tolerate the medicine or, you don't want to continue the medicine, you'll have saved money by not buying a full prescription at the start. Ask for free samples of your prescription medicine - If it's your first prescription for a particular medicine, this is also a good way to "try" the medicine to see how well it works for you and how well you tolerate any side effects. However, even though it is nice to have a free drug for a week or two, make sure it's not a high-priced alternative that will end up costing you more when it comes time to pay for a full prescription. Consider using mail-order pharmacy services - You can usually order up to a 3?month supply of your prescription medicine for about 30% less than the individual prescription refills. Mail-order pharmacies are also more private and often more convenient. You should be aware, however, that a mail-order pharmacy can't fill prescriptions as fast as your pharmacy. So mail order is usually best for maintenance-type drugs. If you use an Internet pharmacy service, be sure it carries the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practices Sites (VIPPS) seal, which identifies sites licensed to sell prescription medicines online. It pays to "shop around" - Prices can vary from one pharmacy to another. However, instead of filling your medicines at a number of different pharmacies on the basis of lowest price or when you find a bargain price, ask if your regular store will match it. It's best to buy your medicines at a pharmacy that keeps track of everything you are taking, allowing the pharmacist to warn you about potentially harmful medicine interactions. Pay Attention to the Quantity - Find out how much medication you really may need, and make sure your doctor doesn't order you more medicine than is necessary to treat your condition. In addition, make sure you understand exactly what it is meant to do and for how long. If you are prescribed two drugs for the same symptom, ask if you really need both. Look into prescription medicine discount programs from the manufacturers - Most pharmaceutical companies have programs that provide medicines at little cost or offer discounts on their medicines for people with low to modest incomes and/or no insurance coverage. Check manufacturers' websites, including http://www.helpingpatients.org, for more details. Veterans May Qualify for More Benefits - Recent laws have changed that grant veterans medical benefits for certain illnesses like diabetes and hypertension, provided the veteran is subject to qualifying conditions like Agent Orange exposure. To see if you qualify for benefits contact the Veteran's Administration. Once a year, have your doctor review your medications - Find out if you are paying for some drugs you no longer need or if less expensive versions have become available since the last time you checked. In addition, it's a good idea to review all your prescriptions with your pharmacist in addition to your doctor. A pharmacist's valuable knowledge is free, and s/he may find something your doctor missed. Ask questions about side effects and drug interactions. Join AmeriPlan® USA - AmeriPlan® USA, the nation's premier health benefits plan, can save you up to 50% off most generic drugs and up to 25% off most name brand drugs at thousands of retail pharmacies nationwide. Plus by using the plan's mail-order service, you can expect to see even greater savings. But AmeriPlan® saves you money on much more than prescriptions. Included, at no additional cost, are Dental benefits, Vision care benefits and Chiropractic care benefits. Even with the combined four benefits, AmeriPlan® is more affordable than traditional insurance only $11.95 a month for an individual and $19.95 a month for an entire household. Let's face it, sooner or later you or someone in your family will need a medication prescribed by a doctor. The question is not will you pay for the drug but rather which price will you be paying? Full Retail Price or the AmeriPlan® discounted price? Find out more about how you can save money with AmeriPlan® Health by visiting www.HealthcareWithinReach.com AmeriPlan Health® benefit programs are NOT insurance, nor are they an alternative to or substitution for insurance coverage. You must use an AmeriPlan® provider and pay the discounted fee at the time of service. Visit http://www.ameriplanusa.com/disclaimer.asp for more information. Disclaimer: The information contained in this report is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended and should not be construed as the delivery of medical care or advice and is not a substitute for personal, hands-on medical attention, diagnosis or treatment. Persons requiring diagnosis or treatment or with specific questions are urged to contact their personal healthcare provider for appropriate care. This article was written by Melissa Horn, a mother of two kids under five, a novice golfer & an AmeriPlan USA Broker. Contact her at melissa@healthcarewithinreach.com
Medicine - Google News |
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Alternative Medicine Integrative Medicine And Its Future The NBC National News, quoted the Washington Post in March 2000 about the concerns that the FDA had over the mixing of supplements and conventional medications. There was concerns that millions of people are taking supplements (considered herbs, homeopathic, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes and some diet products) and having reactions when they mix these things with common and prescribed medications. Quitting Smoking: Planning To Succeed With Zyban! Step One: The Big Decision Pharmaceuticals: The Next Frontier in America's War on Drugs America's war on drugs, which has been fought in the opium fields of Afghanistan and the cocaine plantations of Columbia, will have to reinvent itself to combat what is set to be America's biggest drug abuse problem, pharmaceuticals. One in five American's, nearly 48 million, have used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes at least once in their lives. The current past month misuse rate among Americans is 6.2 million. According to a recent white paper by Carnevale Associates, this rate of use is already higher than the historical highs of both cocaine and heroin epidemics. Talking Money with Your Doctor: Drugs and Tests for Less Would you buy groceries without knowing their prices? I suspect not. You probably compare the costs of different boxes of cereal in order to get the best deal. But when it comes to medical care, do you even ask for the prices involved? Bextra Withdrawal Could Be Just the Beginning for Pfizer The pharmaceutical industry is a tremendously profitable one, as anyone who reads the business pages of their newspaper can see. Although it can take years to develop a new drug and bring it to market, the profits obtained from a breakthrough drug can be staggering. Last year Merck sold about $2.5 billion worth of Vioxx, and Pfizer sold about $1.3 billion worth of Bextra. The profits are huge, but so are the losses if a problem should develop with a pharmaceutical product. Pfizer voluntarily withdrew the popular anti-inflammatory drug Bextra from the market last month, and their stock has suffered from both the loss of sales and the potential for a large number of product liability lawsuits. Pfizer may have to endure a double whammy this year as the FDA announced that they are investigating reports that the impotence drug Viagra may be linked to cases of blindness in male users. Cialis and Levitra were also mentioned in the report, although most of the cases involved the use of Viagra.The FDA reports shouldn't cause alarm; the agency says that it is investigating fewer than 50 incidents of blindness in patients who use a drug that has been used by more than twenty million people since its introduction seven years ago. The FDA investigation says less about the likelihood of blindness in patients than it does about the agency's own concerns about its reputation. The FDA rightly insists upon rigorous testing of drugs before they reach the market in the name of public safety. But that coin has two sides, and there are those who say that the agency is too quick to approve potentially dangerous drugs and others who say that the agency's testing isn't thorough enough. Adding fuel to the fire are the recent memos obtained from Merck employees that suggest that the company was aggressively marketing Vioxx even though their sales staff knew the drug was potentially dangerous.There may be no link between Viagra and blindness at all, as the form of sudden blindness alleged to have been caused by Viagra use is common to the sorts of patients who have erectile disfunction. The FDA is just being cautious, as they should be. Further tests will determine if there is an actual link. The party likely to suffer immediately is Pfizer, as stockholders, already concerned about Bextra lawsuits, drove the stock price lower immediately upon the release of the Viagra news. Sales will probably decrease, too, as patients who are now accustomed to reading about drugs being withdrawn from the market may shy away from the product until further tests are done. That could present a huge income for Pfizer, as they currently sell about $2 billion worth of Viagra each year. The drug business is a profitable one, but like any business, comes with risks. This year, it would seem that Pfizer is getting a double dose of bad medicine. At Last! Good News For Gout Sufferers! Gout, an arthritis affliction with its roots in antiquity, has not always been easy to treat. The traditional medicines employed for gout have been non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), colchicines, probenicid (Benemid), and allopurinol (Zyloprim). The True Meaning of Alternative Medicine Alternative medicine is a type of therapeutic practice that is not considered to be a part of traditional or conventional medical treatment. People use alternative medicine instead of using traditional medical treatment. This is often because they feel it is a natural way to get better. Finding the Medical Supplies you need! It's now possible to locate and purchase a wide variety of Medical Supplies on the internet. Whether you are looking for Medical Supplies for your medical practice or your looking for home health care needs, just about anything can be found through searching online. Cetyl Myristoleate for Arthrtis: Science or Speculation There are a lot of fabulous stories about Cetyl Myristoleate (also known as CMO or CM) floating across the Internet. Mine is one of them. There have been a number of articles published in little known journals or magazines. There have been four small booklets published. One making fantastic claims, all four filled with anecdotal evidence but offering no real research to back up the claims. There are a number of Doctors sharing the results they are having with their patients but so does every other wonder-working product. The question is, are there any scientific studies to back up any of these claims? The answer is yes. To date there are several patient studies and two double blind studies completed. I will mention the three most prominent below. Bextra, Vioxx and Side Effects Do You Need a Lawyer? The recent withdrawals of the prescription medications Vioxx and Bextra from the marketplace have many people concerned. Studies show that the use of Vioxx could increase the likelihood of strokes and heart attacks; Bextra carries those same risks and also increases the chances of contracting Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a potentially fatal skin disease. Frequently prescribed to minimize the inflammation and pain of arthritis, these prescription drugs belong to a family of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs known as COX-2 inhibitors. rX My Heart and Hope to Die This must be a mistake! How could his drug costs rise from $150 a month to $1101 in just three weeks? My hands shook while I read the pharmacy bill. Cetyl Myristoleate Seperating Fact From Fiction I am a strong believer in Cetyl Myristoleate for the treatment of arthritis. For the last three years I have been researching and writing about Cetyl Myristoleate. I am constantly searching for new research and contact and interview every doctor I can find that works with it. The purpose of the article is to evaluate the claims made about Cetyl Myristoleate on the myriad of web sites that sell it. It you want more information on the research that documents the effectiveness of Cetyl Myristoleate then do a search for my article, "Cetyl Myristoleate: Science or Speculation". How To Medically Treat Nail Fungus Warning: This article is for information only and can not be used to supplement your doctor's advice. You should contact your doctor for nail fungus treatment. Fifteen Ways to Fight Heel Pain There are many different causes of heel pain, but the most common cause is plantar fasciitis (plan * tar fash* ee * I * tis). If you experience a sharp pain in your heel when you first step down in the morning, it is most likely due to plantar fasciitis. This problem is a result of excess stress through a long ligament type structure (the plantar fascia) in the bottom of the foot. The excess stress causes tearing and results in inflammation and pain. The classic symptoms are pain in the heel at the first step in the morning, or upon rising after long periods of rest. Many will complain of a sharp pain in the heel when they step out of their car or after finishing their lunch break. Other individuals only experience heel pain at the end of the day or during certain types of activity like running, soccer or tennis. The pain may extend into the arch and feel achy at the end of the day. Is the Mexican Pharmacy safe to buy drugs online? Are you frustrated with the high prices of prescription drugs? Take a look at a Mexican Pharmacy. Not only can you save a lot of money but you can also be sure that you are getting quality medicines and online customer service that provides you all the necessary information on drugs. Whether you are looking for prescription medication or herbal products Mexican Pharmacy is your souce for your purchasing medicines.These are all claims that are associated with Mexican pharmacies catering today. But there are some risks involve in it too, which cannot be totally ignored. Awareness is one sure step towards better informed consumer for health care products. Zyprexa Lawsuits Zyprexa is an antipsychotic medication that works by changing the actions of chemicals in the brain. Zyprexa is used to treat the symptoms of psychotic conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Zyprexa may also be used for other purposes. Fioricet: Migraine Remedy Medication Or Just Another Headache? We've all had garden variety headaches from time to time. Getting sleep, drinking water, or taking aspirin or Tylenol lets you squash these "tension headaches" (as doctors call them) quickly and easily. The Pain Factor Last year I told an acquaintance that at the age of 46, I had taken up running. The reply was, "Oh, that's awfully hard on your knees." At first I was taken aback. Yes, I knew if I did not stretch, warm-up or wear properly fitted shoes, I might experience pain or an injury. But the person telling me this was overweight, had borderline high blood pressure, and never worked out. I wondered if this friend realized by living a sedentary lifestyle, the odds of developing heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and some cancers had substantially increased. Not to mention that being overweight actually placed this person at a higher risk than me for developing knee pain from osteoarthritis and heel pain as a result of plantar fasciitis. Top Ten Reasons Why We Hate IBS! Irritable bowel syndrome can be a nightmare?constant diarrhea and terrible stomach pains, or unbelievable constipation and never-ending gas. While it's good to stay positive and keep looking for help, sometimes it's even better to just have a good old moan! The Importance Of Using Electric Wheelchairs To Improve Mobility No person likes to feel housebound and dependent on others. While people who have been injured or suffering from a debilitating disease may not have full functionality of their motor skills, it is still possible for them to be semi-independent and mobile.
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