Medications
February 18th, 2009
Being February and all, many of us are either just getting another cold, battling through one, or hopefully getting over one. Or the flu. Or bronchitis. I have talked to friends this winter in different areas of the country, and it seems like we are all sick or just getting over something! Personally, I seem to keep catching new colds every couple of weeks. Kleenex, doctors’ offices and Vicks are making a lot of money off of our family this year.
Which brings me to the topic of free antibiotics. Many grocery stores and pharmacies (such as Stop n Shop, Publix, Meijer’s, etc.) are offering free antibiotics through the winter cold season. With a prescription, of course. But is this such a good idea?
My doctor seems to think not, because the overuse/misuse of antibiotics leads to stronger strains of bacteria that we ultimately have to develop new meds for, etc. Also, he says it creates a situation where people demand antibiotics when they don’t require them (i.e. they have a virus) and put him in a difficult position. Other people don’t like the idea of companies using short-term meds to lure people into their stores…and want them to comp blood-pressure or cholesterol pills instead.
My feeling is that if it turns out that you truly need an antibiotic, this is not a bad thing, particularly if you are one of the many who have lost their health coverage along with your job. Or if you don’t have any health benefits to begin with–it’s a way to get your family taken care of, at least in the short-term. And as for giving away other meds for free, well, companies can only do these things short-term and still turn a profit. And supermarkets operate with razor-thin margins as it is…so this antibiotic offering is better than nothing.
However, the longer term prescription problem remains. If you don’t have prescription coverage and take on-going medicines (or if you have an elderly family member in the same situation), be sure to check the lists online for Walmart, Target and any other store in your area offering generic prescription discounts. There is much cross-over between the stores, but not 100%. So if your med isn’t on one list, it might be on another.
Finally, you can also try www.pparx.org. It is an alliance between prescription drug manufacturers to see if you are eligible for partial or full coverage of your medications. If you know of someone who is elderly, on a fixed budget and many medications, do help them out and review it for them as well, because they might not be as computer savvy. Saving others money helps us feel good as well.
Copyright 2008-2009 Kristin Delfau, author of Turbo-Mom's Guide to Saving Money Without Wasting Time a womens' personal finance book, and Aji Publishing.
Tags: health insurance, prescriptions
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