Generic Drugs or Brand Name Drugs - Which should I choose?

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The best reason to choose a generic equivalent over the brand name medication is that
the cost of the generic is usually less. The difference in cost can be substantial. It is not
uncommon for the same companies to make both the brand name and the generic. Generic
medications must by law contain the same active ingredients as the brand name. Before a
generic medication can be sold, the FDA must determine that the generic medication
contains the same active ingredients in the same strength as its brand name equivalent.
Generics become available after the patent for the brand name expires and, as stated
above, some are actually manufactured by the same company that also manufactures the
brand name equivalent. A second reason to choose a generic over its brand name
equivalent is that choosing a lower priced generic will not only save you money but can also
reduce costs for your health insurers. Lower health costs can mean lower premiums for
everyone.

SuperRxCard encourages you to speak to your doctor before making any changes in your
medications, but, we suggest that you let your doctor and pharmacist know that you would
like to save money on your prescriptions by switching them to a generic if one is available.

Your SuperRxcard free drug card will work for both brand name and generics but your
discount pricing is better with the generic.

Savings with your free drug card are as high as
75% on some older generics and average over 30% on many. Over time, the savings you
experience by using our free drug card and generics can be substantial.

8 Tips for Prescription Savings that Could Save Your Life!

The high cost of a single prescription medication resulted in the death of a 45 year old Michigan mother of
two. Living on a limited single parent budget, she was unable to renew a much needed prescription that
was just "so expensive" - it cost her life .

The real crisis in medical care in our nation continues to worsen. Patients who are living on- the- edge
financially and are without prescription insurance, are cutting out critical medicines for financial reasons.
The high cost of prescription medicine is now increasingly cited by health care professionals as a "primary
cause" for worsening health statistics in the USA. Patients under doctor's treatment say they neglect to fill
prescriptions simply because of the exorbitant cost. Consequently, these individuals are showing up in
emergency rooms and doctor's offices again and again. This "repeat traffic” is increasing the heavy
burden already being placed on our medical facilities, resulting in longer waits for medical attention and
much higher costs for all of us. Some, like the Michigan mother, are literally being forced into an early
grave by the high cost of their prescription medicines.

Unfortunately there is yet is no silver bullet for resolving the problem of rising prescription costs. Until
further notice, those of us without prescription insurance have few options. But, here are a few tips which
may mitigate your pain. Don't expect miracles, but try these suggestions for reducing your prescription
costs; together they can save you lotz of money and possibly your life :

1) Get a free drug card - go to any internet search engine and type in "free drug card" or "free
prescription card" or "Superrxcard" - print the free drug discount card and use it the next time you get a
prescription filled. These work very well for certain medicines, especially generics, but also on brand
named drugs as well. Ask your druggist to keep the card on file for your next visit.

2) Ask your doctor or druggist to substitute a generic for the brand name medicine. It is very common for
the same drug lab to make both - the only difference is the higher cost for the brand name. By federal law,
the generic must contain all the same active ingredients in the same amounts as the brand name - so why
pay more for the brand name?
3) Ask your doctor for a higher dosage pill that can be split. This sometimes gives you a discount. Ask him
for a 3 month prescription and then order them through a discount mail order pharmacy (see #5 below)
4) Ask your doctor for samples. They often have a basket full that go unused.
5) Use mail order drug services. *A word of caution - stick with well-known distributors that are licensed
and regulated by your State. Avoid foreign based websites or websites that solicit your business through e-
mails. These sites are usually not regulated and the medicines they sell to you aren't always quality
controlled either.
6) Store you medications properly and take them as directed to maximize their effectiveness.
7) Make sure your doctor and druggist understand that the cost of your medications is a concern to you.
They may help you find a lower- cost generic or lower-cost alternative medicine. If they know that cost is a
factor in your decision whether to take a prescribed medicine, they will be willing to help you.
8) Take all prescribed medicines regardless of the cost, find a way to get them, because the result of
failure to take them could cost you more, even your life.