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Prescriptions can be incredibly expensive, and for many they are no longer covered by our insurance plans. There are a number of tricks and tips you can use to cut costs and save on prescriptions for everyone in the house (even your pets!).
Even if you have insurance that “covers” prescriptions, you are possibly not getting the best prices. Never assume the “with insurance” cost is the best option. The last 3 prescriptions we had filled were all double the price using insurance than they were once we asked the pharmacy to remove the insurance and try other savings methods.
The cost of everything is going up, but you can still save on prescriptions in 2025.
How to Save on Prescriptions in 2025
Be upfront with your doctor
Tell them right off that you don’t have prescription coverage. Their goal is to get you better, and that means having you take the medication they prescribe. If something is too expensive, many times there are other options they can pick. Don’t be afraid to ask for free samples and coupons if they have them.
If you get to the pharmacy and the prescription is super expensive, it never hurts to call the doctor back and ask if there is another medication you could try instead. After hearing the price for my husband’s $171 eye cream, I asked the pharmacist if there were other options that might be cheaper (the pharmacist is your friend). He shared that had the doctor ordered an ointment instead of the cream it would be $50 rather than $171. To save $121 I’ll gladly call and ask the doctor if we can switch from a cream to an ointment!
Always call around
Once you have a prescription you should always call around to see who has it cheaper. You’ll be surprised the price differences and who is cheaper. Typically the smaller pharmacies have the best deals, or head to Costco, Sam’s or Walmart. The worst folks in town are the national pharmacy chains… that $50 ointment at CVS is $9 at Walmart for the same tube. If you want to save the phone calls, use the database at GoodRX to search prices. While it may be off a little from the actual price, I’ve found it to be pretty reliable.
Head to the warehouse clubs
While they don’t want to you to know this, you do not have to be a member of Sam’s, Costco and other warehouse clubs to be able to use their pharmacies! Just tell the person at the door that you are headed to the pharmacy and they will let you in. You’ll get the same prices as members do for all prescriptions! Note: This doesn’t mean they have the best price, but often their 3 month supply prices are very competitive. You can also get prescriptions mailed to you for free, so you don’t even have to head in.
Price match
Several stores have a price matching policy that helps you to get the lowest price all in one place. Kroger and Walmart are two of the larger stores that have this policy. Gather all the prices from when you called around, and then head in to price match.
Transfer your prescriptions
Once you have found the lowest price you can, have the new pharmacy call and transfer your prescription to them. They are glad to do this as they just won your business! Obviously if you have a paper prescription you can skip this step, but most of us have things called in now or sent over electronically. CVS won’t know or care that your prescription got moved; if they do they should have thought about their pricing a bit more. If you have trouble pharmacy to pharmacy (you shouldn’t really), just call the doctors office back and ask them to send it somewhere else. Most of them do this with a click of a button now and it really isn’t a problem.
Prescription savings cards and memberships
If you have no prescription coverage (like us) then at least start with a free savings card from GoodRX. It’s free there is no reason not to try it first. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can use their Rx Pass for only $5/month.
Some prescriptions are cheaper than OTC meds
While it may seem backwards, there are some medications that folks take regularly that will be much cheaper to get a prescription, instead of continuing to pay over the counter prices (OTC). A huge example for us was Prilosec OTC. Even buying house brand OTC can’t compare with the prescription price!
Call the drug manufacturer
Just like we may call a grocery brand if we have a question or complaint, you can always call the manufacturer of your prescriptions. Many of them offer discount cards, rebate programs and other savings options. The only way to know about them is to call!
Always get a 3-month supply if possible
For any medication that you take regularly and plan to take for a long time, you should always be ordering the 3 month supply. You can do this at the local pharmacy or look at mail order pharmacies.Cost savings can be huge for some medications, and even folks who just pay a co-pay will find the co-pay is cheaper! Depending on the pharmacy they may require the doctor to write that a 3 monthly supply is okay on the prescription.
Prescription assistance programs
If you have no coverage for prescriptions there are a few programs that you can turn to. Many were started by pharmaceutical companies and give discounts on specific medications only, but if your medication is one of them you could save up to 45% off!
Look for Studies You May Qualify For
For very expensive medications there could be a different way to save! Weight loss drugs for example that are trying to get approval to help with various other things like sleep apnea, helping with chronic kidney disease etc. are looking for people that haven’t taken the medication before but have these other diagnosis. You can end up with FREE medication if you qualify for their study. While this isn’t for every drug on the market it is available for a lot of the brand new drugs. The first place to start is ClinialTrials.gov that keeps a running list of most studies. Also just google the name of the drug you are interested and “current studies”. Most major manufacturers have a trial study page as well here are a few to get you started:
Eli Lilly Clinical Trials (find lots of Zepbound/Mounjaro studies)
Rewards programs
A number of stores have rewards set up to encourage you to remain loyal. At the drugstores, you can earn rewards on your prescription purchases that will act like money off on other purchases in the store. A number of grocery stores will give you fuel savings if they run a gas savings program. These rewards can seem insignificant because it doesn’t come back as cash, but they will definitely help save you money. Note: Don’t let these rewards keep you loyal if you are paying out of pocket for most medications. They aren’t worth overpaying significantly! For folks paying only a flat co-pay though, they are great!
What tips do you use to save money on prescriptions? Let us know in the comments!
