How to lower your prescription drug costs

Prescription drug costs continue to burden Americans, with billions of dollars spent each year on such drugs, and nearly one in four patients reporting difficulty affording their medications.

But according to Ruchi Talwar, MD of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, there are practical steps patients can take to ease the financial strain.

In addition to the well-known tactic of requesting a generic version of a drug, other tools can help you lower your drug costs. Some pharmacies offer coupons, and companies like GoodRx partner with local pharmacies to provide discounts on common drugs,” Talwar said. Online pharmacies like Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. can save you money as well, but Cuban’s company doesn’t accept many forms of insurance.

For Medicare members, there is the Medicare Pa