Dec 8 2015
Safely Dispose Expired and Unwanted Prescription Drugs
Prescription drugs can get into the wrong hands if they are left lying around the house. Children, pets and those that are not prescribed the medication can easily ingest the medication, not knowing what it really is. This can lead to an unintentional overdose or even death. Many people dispose of their unwanted or expired prescription medication by flushing them down the toilet. This is unsafe as the chemicals can get into the local water system. There are several ways to dispose of prescription drugs in a safe manner.
Local Disposal Programs
Many cities offer safe disposal locations for prescription medications. These items are kept in a safely sealed container and are disposed of appropriately. In some areas, disposal events are set-up periodically to reduce the risk of prescription medication being flushed or thrown into regular garbage bags.
Donating Usable Medication to Shelters
Some homeless shelters and low-income service centers ask for usable prescription medications as donations. This is often items like diabetes medication, asthma medication, high blood pressure medication and antibiotics. These must be within the expiration date listed on the prescription as expired medications are not safe to ingest.
When using this method, it is vital that you ensure that the organization you are donating to is legitimate and properly sanctioned to receive medication as a donation.
Use a Mail Service
Mail disposal service is available. Companies like RedBag Service, as an example, provide containers or bags for pharmaceutical waste and expired medications. Many of these services are low-cost. Some services pick up the container from your doorstep, which is convenient. It also ensures that the items are not lost in delivery and are headed directly for the proper disposal facility.
Refrain from Flushing or Throwing Old Prescriptions Away
When a prescription medication expires, it can have several effects on the body. It can cause a serious reaction that can lead to heart failure. It can have no effect at all. Every medication has a different reaction when it is expired. Both flushing the medication and tossing it in with regular trash are dangerous.
Regardless if a medication is inhaled, in pill form or in liquid form, safe disposal is a must. Medication does not have to be a prescribed pharmaceutical, over-the-counter medications should also be disposed of safely. All medications, whether prescribed or over-the-counter have an expiration date on them. With prescribed medications, it is typically one-year from the prescribed date.
Sep 27 2017
Five Easy Ways To Cut Your Prescription Costs
Paying for prescriptions can be one of the most overwhelming aspects of managing personal health care expenses. This is especially true for consumers who’ve been diagnosed with chronic or progressive health issues. Countless aging adults are also finding that the costs of medication tend to cut heavily into their fixed incomes. Fortunately, there are several easy ways to keep your spending in this area to a minimum. Following are five strategies for reducing your prescription costs without having to forgo any of the medications you need.
Ask For Medications That Are Available In Generic Brands
Reps for drug companies are highly adept in pushing the latest prescription drugs. Unfortunately for patients, these products tend to be the most costly. This means that you can’t be too sure whether your doctor is always offering the most affordable treatment options available. You should always make sure to ask your doctor whether or not a prescription medication has a generic alternative. You can also ask for an alternative medication that does have a generic version, if the first treatment option doesn’t. More often than not, doctors can choose from a variety of effective, medication-based treatments for specific health issues. As such, you should always have access to pills that are both available as name brand formulas and as generic alternatives.
Ask For Samples And Coupons
Another thing that drug reps frequently do is load doctors up on samples of their new medications. If you absolutely must have a name-brand product, ask whether or not your provider is able provide you with any of these samples. In some cases, you may be able to get a full-course of antibiotics, or several weeks’ worth of a popular maintenance drug, without having to pay any money at all. This is also a great way to get coupons that have been shared by drug manufacturers. If you aren’t able to obtain coupons from your doctor, reach out to drug manufacturers directly.
Shop For Your Medications Online
If you do your due diligence and choose your providers carefully, using online pharmacies can be an incredibly effective way to cut your prescription costs. For instance, not only will you find significantly lower drug prices when using a pharmacy in Canada, but you may even be qualified to receive additional perks like free shipping. The best online pharmacies will offer the same end-to-end services and support that you’ve come to expect from local pharmacies. Best of all, you’ll never have to wait in line for a prescription again.
Consider Pill Splitting
You may be able to shave as much as 50 percent off your prescription costs by pill splitting. With this strategy, the tablets that you need must be available in multiple strengths. Choosing a higher strength pill and cutting it down to your actual dose will mean that you’ll have to pay for fewer pills each refill, for a far lesser cost overall. As an example, instead of taking a 15 mg pill of a specific drug, you can have your doctor order your prescription for 30 mg pills, which can then be cut in half. You’ll just need to pay a very nominal, one-time cost to purchase a quality pill splitter from your current pharmacy or local drug store.
Ask For A Review Of Your Medication Plan
Some doctors continue to add new drugs to their patients’ medication plans for the control of single issues, without ever taking any drugs away. For instance, if you’re already taking one medication to manage your hypertension, you should not have to pay for or take additional drugs for this same issue, until your overall medication plan has been reviewed. Asking for a review is a great way to avoid potential contraindication as well as the unnecessary costs of products that aren’t actually benefiting your health.
You shouldn’t have to pay a fortune to get your prescription medications. By taking the time to consider all of your options for purchasing these products, you may be able to save a considerable amount of money each month. Whether you currently subsist on a fixed income or simply have a number of high-cost, maintenance medications that you need, using these savings strategies will make this aspect of your health care, infinitely more manageable.
By admin • Health Care • • Tags: care, Consider Pill Splitting, health, money, online pharmacies, prescription drugs, prescription medications, treatment options