Help your patient reduce out-of-pocket prescription costs

Your patients may come to you with concerns about the high costs they pay for prescription medicines. Be ready to respond and address their concerns.

Stay on top of new drug developments

You may help your patient save money on prescriptions in several ways. Switching from brand name to a generic drugs, switching to a clinically similar but less expensive drug, or increasing dosage and having your patient split the pills are a few possible options. New drugs are developed all the time, which means cheaper options may arise even when not initially available. Stay informed and be ready to share this information with your patients.

Be price conscious when prescribing

Chances are you've prescribed a drug many times without knowing the price. Choosing a less expensive option right from the beginning may help your patient avoid future stress from burdensome prescription costs. Consumer Reports publishes Best Buy Drugs, which provides price comparison charts that you can access online and print out to have for reference in your office.

Have a basic understanding of prescription drug coverage

Ask your patient if he or she has prescription drug coverage and if so, what kind. Go a step further and seek out whether your patient is satisfied with the current coverage. For Medicare eligible patients, you may want to suggest looking into Medicare Part D. Consider the issues surrounding prescription drug coverage: annual expense caps, formularies, increased monthly premiums, and regional variation in plan benefits, to name a few. Help your patient to be aware of all the deciding factors in choosing an appropriate prescription drug plan. More information on Medicare.

To read a short commentary on the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit published in the 2006 Mayo Clinic Proceedings, click here.

Still don't have all the answers?

Consider contacting or referring your patient to a social worker or local social service agency. If you don't know any off the top of your head, suggest the idea anyways. Other doctors, nurses or pharmacists may also be able to help your patient or offer useful suggestions.