Show 1046: How to Save Money on Prescription Drugs

Prescription medications cost more in the US than anywhere else in the world. What’s behind the high cost of these drugs? How are insurance companies and other payers coping with costs? Is there any way to save money on a prescription? How Can You Save Money on Your Prescriptions? With the price of medicines rising much faster than the general rate of inflation, smart strategies to shop for prescriptions are essential. Generic drugs were supposed to be the lifeline to economical prescriptions, but even those have risen remarkably in price. Get tips on how you can save money on your medicines from Lisa Gill of Best Buy Drugs at Consumer Reports. The websites she mentioned are GoodRx.com and BlinkHealth.com. Vinay Prasad, MD, describes how critical treatments such as those for cancer or hepatitis C came to cost so much. He has objected to the superlatives used to promote these medications to physicians as well as to the public (JAMA Oncology, Jan., 2016). This Week’s Guests: Lisa Gill is deputy content editor of Best Buy Drugs for Consumer Reports. The website is www.consumerreports.org/cro/health/prescription-drugs/best-buy-drugs/index.htm The article, Is There a Cure for High Drug Prices? was published in the August 2016 issue of Consumer Reports. Vinay Prasad, MD, MPH, is assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology Oncology in the Knight Cancer Institute. He is also a senior scholar in the Center for Health Care Ethics in the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Oregon Health and Sciences University. His website is http://www.vinayakkprasad.com/  Dr. Prasad is co-author, with Adam Cifu, MD, of the book, Ending Medical Reversal: Improving Outcomes, Saving Lives. Listen to the Podcast: The podcast of this program will be available the Monday after the broadcast date. The show can be streamed online from this site and podcasts can be downloaded for free for four weeks after the date of broadcast. After that time has passed, digital downloads are available for $2.99. CDs may be purchased at any time after broadcast for $9.99. Buy the CD Download the Mp3