Millions of people face skyrocketing drug costs. Many without insurance have trouble affording medications. And even those with insurance often find their deductibles and copays rising. The cost of medicines is a major pain point for consumers, but there are ways to reduce their impact.
Consumers can shop for the best prices on their drugs by using apps that compare prices at multiple pharmacies near them. Some are available at Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store. Others are a bit more complex and require patients to input their specific health information.
In addition to comparing prices, patients can look for coupons that can help mitigate the effect of cost sharing with insurance. Coupons can cover a full or partial deductible, copay or coinsurance. Some coupons are issued directly by a manufacturer. Others are administered by a pharmacy services administration organization (PSAO).
PSAOs are a type of group purchasing organization that negotiates with drug manufacturers and provides a variety of other administrative services to independent pharmacies and chain pharmacies. They are also known as drug distribution networks.
Consumers who buy from unauthorized pharmacies run the risk of getting fake or expired drugs that can be dangerous to their health. To avoid these dangers, check the website’s Canadian street address or see if it’s listed with the Pharmacy Verification Program. You should also consider whether the site offers an easy way to report suspicious websites or if it has clear written protections for your personal and financial information. combo of urls and product name ie Buy TB507