* Learn if your insurance plan supports a mail-order pharmacy. If so, you can often order a three-month supply of maintenance drugs at the same co-pay as what one month would cost at the neighborhood drug store.
* If you don't have insurance, check out a Patient Assistance Program or drug discount card.
PhRMA will link uninsured patients who earn up to 200% of the federal poverty line -- or $41,300 for a family of four -- with free or nearly free prescription drugs, Ken Johnson said. The group's website, www.phrma.org, links patients with a clearinghouse to 475 assistance programs providing 2,500 medications. Since 2005, drug companies have given away $5 billion worth of prescriptions.
* If you are uninsured but make too much money to qualify for the assistance programs, ask if your drugstore accepts a discount card. Insured customers won't qualify.
But qualifying uninsured patients can save 25% to 40% on 300 brand name drugs with cards like Together Rx Access, a consortium of 10 pharmaceutical companies that offer medication for diabetes, high blood pressure and depression, among other things. Talk to your pharmacist to see what cards are accepted at your pharmacy and cover your drugs.
* Check if your pharmacy offers generic drugs at a flat reduced rate. Both Wal-Mart and Target pharmacies sell hundreds of generic drugs for $4 each for a 30-day supply. Drugs to treat allergies, Parkinson's disease and arthritis are among those included.
* Comparison shop before crossing the border.
Although drugs in Mexico and Canada seem cheaper than those in the U.S., consider how much you will spend in travel costs or shipping, and how much you could save by using a discount plan at home. According to the FDA, the savings often are not as high as they might seem.
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A variety of lower-cost options
The following chart compares drugs purchased through large American pharmacies with those bought at the popular Canadian Web site, Canadadrugs.com:
*--* DRUG Walgreens Drugstore.com Canadadrugs.c Costco om Zocor* $149.99 $146.99 $83.70 $147.52 Zocor generic $89.99 $22.98 $43.80 $10.86 Zoloft ** $93.99 $87.14 $54.61 $82.24 Zoloft generic $73.99 $67.99 $31.20 $6.32 Ortho-cyclen 28 $49.99 $44.99 $24.60 $45.80 Ortho-cyclen $29.99 $25.99 $24.60 $21.43 generic
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*30 day supply, 80 mg tablets
**30 day supply, 50 mg tablet
-- Genevieve Bookwalter
