Melatonin

You may find that filling a 90-day supply will reduce your total cost for this prescription. As an added bonus, you'll make fewer trips to the pharmacy, saving you time and money.

If you have insurance or Medicare, you may find that you receive lower prices if you fill your prescriptions through your plan’s mail order pharmacy. Many insurance plans (and most Medicare plans) are now offering similar rates at a select group of “preferred” retail pharmacies. Some plans may require that you fill through a mail order pharmacy for fills of more than a 30-day supply.

To switch to 90-day fills, note that you'll need a new prescription from your doctor; a 30-day quantity prescription will not allow 90-day fills.

You may be able to save up to 50% each month by splitting a higher dosage of this drug.

Here's how it works: Imagine you take the 20mg dosage of a certain drug. While it may seem odd, the 40mg version of the same drug typically does not cost twice as much as the 20mg—in fact, it often costs the exact same amount!

You'll need to ask your doctor if pill splitting is a good idea for your prescription; if so, he'll need to adjust your prescription accordingly.

Some important things to consider before pill splitting:

- Pill splitters can be bought at most pharmacies for around $5.

- Some immediate-release tablets may be split, and tablets that are scored have been evaluated by the FDA for safety.

- Not all pills can be split. Don't split drugs with an enteric coating (designed to protect the stomach), drugs that are time-release or long-acting, drugs taken more often than once a day, drugs in capsules, and prepackaged drugs in specific doses, like birth control pills.

- Pill splitting is also not recommended for situations where the patient might not understand the concept or be capable of splitting a pill.

Be sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist when in doubt.

If your insurance plan offers a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), you may be able to use funds from your FSA to pay for OTC medications that have been prescribed by your doctor.

Eligible medications often include treatments for allergies, cough and cold, smoking cessation, stomach issues, and many other common conditions. Some items like bandages, contact lense solution, and pregnancy tests may be eligible even without a prescription.

Check with your plan for details about your coverage.