Do not just stop taking it - there is almost always a cheaper route. In order: ask your prescriber for the generic or a cheaper alternative, compare cash prices across pharmacies, check coupons and patient assistance programs, and ask about $4 generic lists.
Step by step: 1) Ask your prescriber - a generic or a different drug in the same class often costs a fraction. 2) Compare cash prices: the same medication can vary 10x between pharmacies; our cash-price catalog tracks 886 medications from published sources. 3) Coupons like GoodRx often beat insurance copays on generics. 4) Patient assistance programs from drug makers cover many brand-name drugs for people who qualify - NeedyMeds lists them. 5) Walmart and other chains sell hundreds of generics at $4 for 30 days. Skipping doses to stretch a supply is the one move that reliably backfires - tell your prescriber the price is the problem; it is a medical problem they can help solve.
What to do
Common questions
What is the fastest way to lower a medication's cost?
Two phone calls. First your prescriber: 'this costs too much - is there a generic or a cheaper option in the same class?' solves it more often than people expect. Then your pharmacy: ask for their cash price and compare it against a coupon price - on many generics the coupon or cash price beats the insurance copay.
Are coupon prices like GoodRx legitimate?
Yes - they negotiate cash prices with pharmacies and are accepted at the counter like a discount card. The catch: coupon purchases usually do not count toward your insurance deductible, and prices change, so check the current price before each refill. For generics especially, the coupon price is frequently lower than the copay.
What are patient assistance programs?
Programs run by drug manufacturers that provide brand-name medications free or cheap to people who meet income criteria. Nearly every major maker has one; NeedyMeds and the medicine's own website list them. They take paperwork and a prescriber's signature, so start before the bottle runs out.
What if I already stopped taking it?
Tell your prescriber - today, not at the next visit. Some medications are dangerous to stop abruptly (blood pressure, antidepressants, steroids, seizure medications), and most conditions are cheaper to manage than the crisis that follows stopping. If cost forced the stop, say exactly that - it changes what they prescribe. Emergencies skip this list: chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke signs, severe bleeding, or thoughts of self-harm mean call 911, or 988 for a mental health crisis in the US.