Prescription Drugs

I take four different drugs for maintenance.  I got some 90-day prescriptions and still haven't filled them. I'm out of some of the freebies that the doctor gave me, so I've really got to get on this. The way our health insurance works, you pay a different co-pay based on tiers. Nothing weird, other than I need to shave some cost somwhere. A few options come to mind, other than simply stopping taking them, or actually getting healthier so that I don't have to take them.

I saw at K-Mart has a list of generic medicnes that you can get 90-day scripts filled for $15.00. Plus we got a coupon in the mail for $20 bucks if we bring our scripts there.

I heard on the radio that Kroger has a list of generic medicines that they'll do 90-days for some obscenely low cost that I can't remember, probably $10 or something... I can't be bothered to go to Kroger though... not sure why. Probably because whe shop at Meijer, ususally.

Walgreens has a sign that I've seen that has $12.99 90-day scripts, and this morning, before work, I decided to stop in. We've had a pretty good relationship with Walgreens, but the $4.00 generic scripts at Wal-Mart pretty much had us going there as our first choice, and then filling the other drugs at a conventient time and place, which usually was Wal-Mart, with the rest of them, unless they were antibiotics for the kids, which are sometimes free at Meijer...

Anyway, the pharmacist was helpful and explained the program and checked... two of my drugs are on the list, one is avaialble generically, but not on the list, and the other isn't available generically. Furthermore, my insurance won't let me fill 90-day scripts at retail. I have to mail-order them. Typically when I mail order, I get three months for the cost of two... which is nice, but not cheaper than $12.99. The lowest monthly co-pay is $15.00, so for the cheapest mail-order drugs, I'm looking at $30 for a 90-day supply of one drug.

So, I also find out I have to participate in a Prescription Savings Club, which costs $20.00 annually, to get the $12.99 price. So, I've got to split my scripts, and come up with $20 extra... ugh... I hate "clubs" and "plans" and "memberships" I think that's why I don't shop Kroger... anyway... I signed up for it for my family, which is actually $35.00 and then took my two scripts that I have to fill via mail-order with me to work.

Oh... but I get coupons and discounts for buying Walgreens products that I wasn't going to buy in the first place, making that extra money I spent totally worth it... yeaah... okay. My insurance carrier online pharmacy rapes me, so I just settle for being beat up by Walgreens, whatever.

At work, I log on to the website, and get the order form. Then I figure I'll just call the doctor and have them call them in, as opposed to paying the stamp and waiting for them to be filled. My doctor's office was awesome.  They just asked what the drugs were, and they'll fax them in. I gave them my number, in case they wanted to call me for questions, and that was pretty much it. I guess the pharmacy will bill me, we'll see.

So, maybe I saved enough money over three months to help with the cost of this gym membership we just got. Maybe not, but maybe if I get in shape, I won't be spending as much money on fixing what's wrong with my body with drugs.