Hi Anne,

Thank you for your question. You have several options to try to get your medications at a more affordable price. You can first check with your doctor's office to see if they have free samples or vouchers for a free month's supply for your medications. Drug copanies often leave samples or vouchers with a doctor's office, and the office staff throw them in a desk drawer somewhere or forget that they're even available. Another option is to ask your doctor if you can switch to a lower cost generic medication. Once a medication has been on the market for so many years, it becomes generic and is available at a fraction of the cost of the brand name. The generic contains the same active ingredients as the brand, and the generic company has submitted data to the FDA to prove that their product is equivalent to the brand name. The only difference is that the generic company didn't have to pay for all the original research to develop the drug, so they can sell it for much less than the brand company. If that doesn't work, you can try to find a patient assistance program. Find out which company manufactures the medication (Google the name of the medication + "manufacturer"), and then Google the manufacturer's name + "patient assistance program." Most drug companies do have a patient assistance program where patients can get medications at low or no cost, but there are usually income requirements, and paperwork that needs to be submitted. Even if you're approved, the process usually takes at least 4-6 weeks.

Best of luck, and feel free to contact me with any specific questions you may have about an application!

Casey