Maximize your prescription drug investment
Taking prescription drugs is an investment in your health. Like all investments, you need to know the rules for maximum results.

In Texas, what the doctor writes is what you get. Customers cannot roll up their refills to get all the pills at once. Members should make sure the amount they need is the amount the doctor writes on the prescription.

If your doctor writes a prescription for a 20-day supply through the mail-order pharmacy, you will still pay the co-pay for 90 days worth of pills. Therefore, it’s more economical to visit the corner pharmacy for quantities of 60 days or less.

Overnight delivery does not mean the drug will be on your doorstep the next day. New prescriptions still have to go through checks and balances, which take several days. Refills can be delivered the next day, if there are no new compatibility problems.

More generics coming out to save you money
New drugs are developed under patent, which protects the developer’s investment in the drug. When patents or other periods of exclusivity expire, manufacturers can apply to the Federal Drug Administration to sell generic versions, which are equivalent to brand-name drugs but typically sold at substantial discounts. 

Some drugs scheduled to come off patent in 2005 are: Zocor for high cholesterol, Paxil for depression, Zoloft for depression, Prevacid for ulcers, Pravachol for high cholesterol and Lamisil for athelete’s foot.