10 Ways to Lower Prescription Costs This Week

You can take several concrete steps this week to potentially lower what you pay for prescriptions, even before your next refill is due. Quick actions like comparing pharmacy prices or asking about a generic can help immediately, while applications for programs like Extra Help or patient assistance take longer but are worth starting now (Medicare.gov, HRSA).

1. Compare prices at pharmacies near you

Start by checking what your medication costs at a few different pharmacies. Prices for the same drug, dose, and quantity can vary meaningfully by location. Compare prescription prices on BetterBuyRx to see current listings near your ZIP code.

2. Ask your pharmacist if a generic exists

If you're on a brand-name drug, ask whether an FDA-approved generic equivalent is available. Generics must match the brand-name drug's active ingredient, strength, dosage form, and route of administration (FDA), and are frequently less expensive.

3. Try a discount card on your next fill

A free discount card or coupon app can sometimes beat your insurance copay, particularly for generics. Remember you cannot combine a discount card with insurance on the same prescription, so compare both prices before deciding which to use.

4. Ask about switching to a 90-day supply

For medications you take long-term, a 90-day supply sometimes costs less per month than three separate 30-day fills, depending on your pharmacy and plan.

5. Check if your pharmacy price-matches

Some pharmacies will match a lower price you've found elsewhere if you ask. It costs nothing to check before you assume you have to pay the listed price.

6. Look up your plan's formulary tier for this drug

If you have insurance, check whether your medication sits on a lower-cost formulary tier, or whether a different drug in the same class is tiered lower. This is something your pharmacist or insurer's online tool can usually confirm within the week.

7. Ask your doctor about a therapeutic alternative

If cost is a barrier, ask your prescriber whether another medication that treats the same condition might be cheaper. This is a conversation, not a decision to make on your own, since not all alternatives are clinically appropriate for every patient.

8. Start a Medicare Extra Help application, if you're Medicare-eligible

If you have Medicare and limited income and resources, applying for Extra Help this week can start the clock on reduced Part D premiums, deductibles, and copays, even though approval takes some time (Medicare.gov).

9. Check if a nearby clinic offers 340B pricing

If you receive care at, or could switch to, a Federally Qualified Health Center or similar clinic, ask this week whether your prescriptions qualify for 340B-linked sliding-scale pricing (HRSA). See our community health center pharmacy guide for what to expect.

10. Check your Medicaid copay cap, if applicable

If you have Medicaid, confirm your prescription copays are being applied correctly. Federal rules generally cap copays at modest amounts, often $4 for preferred generics and $8 for non-preferred drugs for people at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level, with exemptions for several groups (Medicaid.gov).

This week's action list at a glance

Search your medication on BetterBuyRx today to see where you stand before making any of these calls.

A realistic way to spend the week

You do not need to do all ten in one day. A reasonable pace:

• Day 1: Compare prices and check your formulary tier.
• Day 2–3: Call your pharmacist about generics, discount cards, and price matching.
• Day 4–5: Call your doctor's office about therapeutic alternatives if cost remains an issue.
• Later in the week: Start any longer-term application, such as Extra Help or 340B eligibility, since these take longer to process but are worth beginning now.

Find lower-cost options on BetterBuyRx as your first stop, then work through the rest of this list based on your specific coverage situation.

When to loop in your doctor

If your prescription cost is a persistent problem rather than a one-time issue, tell your doctor directly. Cost concerns are a legitimate part of a treatment conversation, and your prescriber may know of a lower-cost option, sample program, or manufacturer support you would not find on your own. Never stop or skip a dose because of cost without talking to your doctor or pharmacist first.