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Five Other Ways to Save Money on Prescription
Drugs
The feedback
voicing that you would not participate in Medicare's
Prescription Drug Plan (Part D) was unanimous, thank you to
everyone who shared their opinions with us. Due to this
overwhelming response to last months Medicare article, we have
five easy-to-implement alternate ways that you could use to
help save money on your monthly prescription drug bill. For
those of you who have yet to decide, please take the following
options into consideration:
1.
Ask your doctor for free samples
Samples save
money in the short term and allow you to try new medications
without wasting money if you have an adverse reaction to the
drug.
Pharmaceutical companies give samples to most
physicians to promote their brand name medications, so ask
your doctor if he or she can provide free samples.
2.
Switch to generics
Generics have
the same active ingredients as brand name medications, but
offer substantial cost savings. The difference between
generics and brand name medications is that generics have
different inactive ingredients - dyes, fillers and
preservatives - and different packaging. The manufacturing
process and facilities still meet the same standards for Good
Manufacturing Practices set out by the FDA as brand name
drugs.
3.
Split your pills
You may find
savings based on the fact prescriptions cost the same despite
dosage strength. For example, instead of buying 50 100-mg
pills, you could buy 50 200-mg pills for the same cost, split
them in half and get twice the number of doses (100). If you
are currently cutting your pills or plan to in the future,
keep in mind that it is extremely important to accurately cut
your pills. You can obtain a pill cutter from your local
drugstore.
4.
Shop at online Canadian and European
pharmacies
Online
pharmacies such as www.GlobalDrugsDirect.com
offer brand name medications 20-75 per cent cheaper than US
retail stores and are a good source for maintenance
medications, which are less time sensitive than those used for
acute conditions.
Canadian and
European pharmacies offer many of the same drugs available in
the
US. As in the
US, these
medications have been subject to rigorous approval by their
respective health agencies. When shopping online, take
precautions and buy from licensed online pharmacies requiring
a prescription from your physician and your medical history.
5.
Discount prescription cards
Discount cards
are available through employer group benefits plans, drugstore
chains and to individuals without insurance coverage. You
often pay an annual fee (around $50 per household), a cost
that can be recovered over several months, depending on your
health needs. Discount cards are widely accepted at any retail
pharmacy location.
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Due to
the difficulty in choosing among the large number of
plans being offered, you may want to consider some
important points that could create some problems for
you:
- Will
a plan cover the beneficiary if they travel outside
their plan's coverage region?
- Will
your regular pharmacy be included in the plans network
of pharmacies or will the beneficiary have to purchase
from a designated pharmacy?
- Will
all the medications you require be covered, and how
will the plan guarantee access to your drugs when plan
administrators have the right to change the plan and
the terms of coverage at any time?
- Since
Congress defeated moves to negotiate lower prices, how
will the price for a prescription drug be determined?
Will they follow the current pattern in which drug
companies continue to raise the prices of drugs in the
U.S.
significantly more than the rate of
inflation?
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US prescription
drug prices are rising faster than the rate of inflation.
While the average inflation rate was 2.5 per cent between 1993
and 2003, the cost of prescriptions rose more than twice as
fast at an average of 7.4 per cent a year, according to the
Henry J. Kaiser Foundation.
Don't get
caught paying too much for your prescriptions. Use some of the
tips above to help you make the most of your health care
dollars. Visit www.GlobalDrugsDirect.com
to compare prices.
As always,
thank you for doing business with GlobalDrugsDirect.com.
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top
June 2006 Health Tips: How to Stay Cool this Summer
Protect
yourself this summer from heat-related illnesses. Below are
some prevention tips, according to the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control.
* Drink more fluids (nonalcoholic),
regardless of your activity level. Don't wait until you're
thirsty to drink. Warning: If your doctor generally limits the
amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, ask him
how much you should drink while the weather is hot.
*
Don't drink liquids that contain caffeine, alcohol, or large
amounts of sugar -- these actually cause you to lose more body
fluid. Also, avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause
stomach cramps.
* Stay indoors and, if at all possible,
stay in an air-conditioned place. If your home does not have
air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library -
even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body
stay cooler when you go back into the heat.
* Electric
fans may provide comfort, but when the temperature is in the
high 90s, fans will not prevent heat-related illness. Taking a
cool shower or bath, or moving to an air-conditioned place is
a much better way to cool off.
* Wear lightweight,
light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
* Never leave
anyone in a closed, parked vehicle.
* Check regularly
for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke on those at
highest risk, including infants and young children, people
aged 65 or older, people who have a mental illness, those who
are physically ill, and especially with heart disease or high
blood pressure.
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Your Comments
“Great prices
and super fast service, you guys rock!!”
“Got
my order today, WOW!!! That was fast!!
Thanks.”
SS
“I
am so glad I found this website. The customer service
representatives are the friendliest that I have ever come
across and very helpful. The service is fast and you cannot
beat the prices. Thank you.”
PF
“We
are very pleased with both the product provided and the prompt
delivery for our order. We look forward to doing business with
you in the future.”
BK
& MK
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GlobalDrugsDirect Customer
Feedback
We Love Hearing
What Our Customers Have To Say!!
We would love to
hear your comments on this issue of the newsletter plus if you
have any additional feedback or suggestions in regards to our
service or for upcoming GlobalDrugsDirect.com newsletters
please let us know via e-mail at:
CustomerService@GlobalDrugsDirect.com.
GlobalDrugsDirect
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Ave
Delta
,
British Columbia
Canada
V3M
6K2
Toll Free Tel:
1.866.789.DRUG (1.866.789.3784)
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GlobalDrugsDirect.com. All rights reserved.
http://www.GlobalDrugsDirect.com
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