The Complete Guide to Free and Discounted Prescription Drugs

Including More Than 600 of the Most Commonly Prescribed Medications

Michael P. Cecil, M.D.Foreword by Ferrol Sams, Jr., M.D.

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HATHERLEIGH PRESS5-22 46th Avenue, Suite 200 • Long Island City, NY 11101PHONE 1-718-786-5338 Ext. 202 • FAX 718-706-6087www.hatherleighpress.comAn Affiliate of W.W. Norton and Company

The Best Investment You Can Make in Your Health

Drugs for Less

New York, NY - Have you or your loved one struggled toafford prescription drugs, medications that might be the differ-ence between having a heart attack or stroke or not? Have youever been at a pharmacy window and seen someone walk away,unable to pay for his or her prescriptions? If so youíre not alone.Over 80 million non-elderly Americans have not had prescrip-

tion drug coverage or health insurance at some point within the past two years. Another 10million elderly Americans with Medicare lack prescription drug coverage. Even those withhealth insurance struggle to make their monthly co-payments for their prescription drugs.With so much written about the problem of rising prescription drug cost, virtually nothinghas been written about solutions.

A wealth of information exists on how to reduce prescription drug costs, but this informa-tion has not been made widely available to the public—until now. Drugs for Lessis thefirst book written by a physician teaching readers how to make medications more afford-able and accessible. Do you know about the myriad of drug programs that let you obtainbrand-name medications for free? Are you aware of a program where many can purchasedozens of generic medications for about $1/ week?

Drugs for Lessis written by Dr. Michael Cecil, a cardiologist who has helped hundreds ofhis patients obtain the drugs they need at prices they can afford. It provides readers withthe tools they need to reduce prescription drug costs. Empowering consumers with neededinformation, Drugs for Lessoutlines seven simple strategies to reduce rising pharmaceu-tical prices. Readers will discover how to ensure that the drugs they buy online are safe,which drugs can be sliced into two parts, which drugs have low-cost generic alternatives,and which pharmacies have the best prices. This essential guidebook even includes anextensive directory of the most popular brand-name drugs with specific information onhow to save money on each drug.

Consumers everywhere will agree—Drugs for Lessis indispensable. Here's what some ofDr. Cecil's patients say about this ground-breaking work:

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“Imagine having $220 extra a month! —Now there is not a struggle to pay bills eachmonth.”—50 year old woman with heart disease

“I'm on a fixed income and do not have any drug insurance. Dr. Cecil's program savesme a lot of money I need.”—75 year old man with heart disease, diabetes, and elevatedcholesterol

Making sense of the convoluted system of pricing drugs and showing you how to obtainthe drugs you need at prices you can afford, Drugs for Lessis the best investment you canmake in your health.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Michael P. Cecil, M.D., Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, com-pleted his training in internal medicine, cardiology, and nuclear medicine atEmory, earning board certification in each field. Previously, he has publishedmedical articles in peer-reviewed medical journals. This is his first book. He livesin Atlanta, Georgia.

For interview requests or for further information,please contact Julia Goodman at 800-528-2550 x 222 or

email publicity@healthylivingbooks.com

Drugs for Less:The Complete Guide to Free and Discounted

Prescription DrugsMichael P. Cecil, MD

Hatherleigh Press/A Healthy Living BookISBN: 1-57826-192-9

March 2005$13.95 paper / 6 x 9 inches

IN BOOKSTORES EVERYWHERE MAY 2005

www.healthylivingbooks.com

All Hatherleigh Press titles are distributed in Canada byPenguin Books Canada Ltd

PREFACE xiii

INTRODUCTION xvSeven Strategies for Lowering Your Drug Costs

PART I: THE SEVEN STRATEGIES 1

Strategy 1 LEARN PRICES 3

Strategy 2 COMPARISON SHOP 17

Strategy 3 BUY GENERIC MEDICATIONS 27

Strategy 4 SLICE MEDICATIONS 52

Strategy 5 CONSIDER OTHER MEDICATIONSIN THE SAME CLASS 64

Strategy 6 PUT YOUR GOVERNMENT TO WORK FOR YOU 92

Strategy 7 USE PHARMACEUTICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS 110

A FINAL THOUGHT, A FINAL STRATEGY 162Drug Smarts and Drug Safety

PART II: THE DRUGS FOR LESS LISTING 173

APPENDIX A: WEBSITES AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 272

APPENDIX B: 2005 FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES 277

APPENDIX C: Rx OUTREACH APPLICATION 278

INDEX 280

Contents

Preface

TH E N U M B E R O F M Y P A T I E N T S who cannot afford theirprescription drugs has grown dramatically during the past fewyears. Medications greatly enhance health and quality of life;

however, they are beneficial only to those who can pay for them.As a cardiologist, I primarily see patients with heart disease, whoseinability to buy prescription drugs can be lethal. For some, it comesdown to a choice between buying medications and buying food.

My office staff and I have been touched by this mountingproblem, and we have tried to respond. Our search of magazines,books, websites, and discussion groups for information on reducingprescription drug costs came to one conclusion: such information issurprisingly difficult to find.The problem of rising drug prices iswidely reported in newspapers and on television, but practicalsolutions are seldom given. So we did a little more research.

Patients told us about pharmacies with the best prices, as wellas novel methods of purchasing medications from Canada andIndian tribes. Pharmacists taught us which drugs can be purchasedas low-cost generic substitutes and which medications can be safelydivided, or “sliced.” Pharmaceutical representatives were generousin supplying drug samples and offered information regardingpharmaceutical assistance programs.

This guidebook is the result of our work.We discovered that awealth of information exists on how to reduce prescription drugcosts, but this information is not well known to the general public. Iwrote this book and created the website www.drmichael.com sothat more people may gain access to the medications they need atprices they can afford. Patients remind us daily of the money theyhave saved, as well as the improvement in the quality of their lives.

Although Drugs for Less contains a great deal of information, itis neither encyclopedic nor dogmatic. New drugs are approvedeach month, and both state and federal laws governing prescriptiondrugs change frequently. Some physicians and pharmacists maydisagree with some of its contents. The material in this book

-xiii-

STRATEGY 2

COMPARISON SHOP

SAV V Y C O N S U M E R S shop for bargains on computers,automobiles, gasoline, and almost every consumer productexcept medications.This chapter tells you how to save money

on drugs by comparison shopping, and shows you the value ofpurchasing some medications in bulk quantity. The benefits andrisks of purchasing pharmaceuticals online, including informationabout Canadian pharmacies, are discussed. Start saving moneytoday by smart shopping for drugs.

Comparison Shopping at Various Types of Pharmacies,Between Different Quantities of Drugs, and BetweenGeneric and Brand-Name DrugsChain pharmacies, independent pharmacies, grocery stores, andlarge discount retailers all sell drugs. As with other consumergoods, the same drugs sell for different prices at different stores.For instance, discount retailers such as Costco often sell medica-tions at lower prices. Some groceries give an additional discountone day a week to seniors. If you purchase your medications atthe local, most convenient pharmacy, you may not be saving asmuch as you could by shopping around. Internet websites such asDestination Rx™, www.destinationrx.com, compare pricesamong different online pharmacies and provide a range of pricesfor varying amounts of different drug dosages for U.S. onlinepharmacies. Some searches return a small number of online phar-macies to choose from, so be sure to check prices at www.cost-co.com, www.drugstore.com, and www.familymeds.com. Pricesfrom these websites are presented throughout the book.

D R U G S F O R L E S S

An uncommon place to check prices for your prescriptiondrugs is with the Pequot Indian tribe in Connecticut. NativeAmerican Indians can buy prescription drugs from them at deeplydiscounted prices by using their website www.prxn.com or tele-phoning the pharmacy at 800-342-5779.Those who are not nativeAmerican Indians must belong to a group such as AAA to use thepharmacy, and the drug prices are not as deeply discounted. I tolda patient who is an Indian chief about this pharmacy, and hereported that the service was helpful for members of his tribe.

Once you’ve found the store with the best prices, compare pricesamong different quantities of drugs to see how much you will saveby buying in bulk.Also, you can save an amazing amount by buyinggeneric drugs, a topic we will touch on in this chapter and cover inmuch more depth in Strategy 3. Let’s see how super savers shop.

In November 2004, Ed, an extraordinary shopper, comparedprices at a local chain pharmacy and a local discount retailer forthree drugs that belong in everyone’s medicine chest: Advil®,aspirin, and Zantac®. These drugs are available for sale virtuallyeverywhere. The generic name of Advil® is ibuprofen and thegeneric name of Zantac® is ranitidine. He started by comparingthe prices of brand-name Advil® and generic ibuprofen, in smalland large quantities.

Prices of Different Quantities of Brand-Name Advil®Versus Generic Ibuprofen at a Large Chain Drugstore

BRAND NAME: GENERIC:ADVIL®, 200MG IBUPROFEN, 200 MG

NUMBER OF PRICE NUMBER OF PRICETABLETS PRICE PER TABLET TABLETS PRICE PERTABLET

24 $4.19 $0.17 24 $2.99 $0.12

50 $5.99 $0.12 50 $4.99 $0.10

100 $8.99 $0.09 100 $7.39 $0.07

The above comparison demonstrates the high price paid for asmall amount of a brand-name drug.The cost of a single brand-

Comparison Shop

MICHAEL P. CECIL, M.D., F.A.C.C.is a board certified cardiologist. He com-pleted his undergraduate degree at theUniversity of Louisville in two years, grad-uating with Highest Honors. Accepted tothe University of Louisville School ofMedicine at age nineteen, he was subse-quently elected to the Alpha OmegaHonor Society and named to Who’s WhoAmong Medical students.

After graduation from medical school,he completed seven additional years oftraining at Emory University. During thattime he completed his internship and res-idency in internal medicine, along withfellowships in cardiology and nuclear

medicine, and earned board certification in each specialty. He hasalso published research in peer-reviewed medical journals. AFellow of the American College of Cardiology, Dr. Cecil has prac-ticed cardiology in Atlanta since 1994 where he lives with hiswife, Sudi.

M i c h a e l P . C e c i l , M .D.B i o g r a p h y

1.What led you to write thisbook?

2. How is DRUGS FOR LESSdifferent from other books out there?

3.Why don't people hear about the alternatives to brand-name drugs?

4.Why do people pay so much for their drugs?

5. Do people with prescription drug coverage have to worry about the cost of prescription drugs?

6. Briefly, what are the Seven Strategies for obtaining cheaper medication?

7. A lot of people are turning to online pharmacies to get their medicine.Is this really safe?

M i c h a e l P . C e c i l , M. D.Suggested In terv iew Quest ions :

"Drugs For Less is a practical, comprehensive, and invaluable contribution toAmerican medicine. It should be read and reread by patients, consumers, andhealth professionals."—Laurence S. Sperling, M.D., Director of Preventive Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine

Start Saving $$$ Now on Your Prescription Drugs

Having trouble affording your prescription drugs? You're not alone. Nearly one-half ofall Americans take at least one prescription drug and prices are rapidly rising.

Drugs for Less is the answer to the problem. The first easy-to-use referenceguide to saving 50% or more on more than 600 commonly prescribed medicationsin the United States, the book outlines seven simple strategies to reduce your rising pharmaceutical costs. Here is the ultimate guide on how to:

• Obtain hundreds of drugs for free • Put government programs to work for you • Substitute lower cost medications for expensive ones• Learn what the new Medicare prescription drug law means to you• Purchase drugs in bulk quantities to save money, and more

Making sense of the convoluted system of pricing drugs and showing youhow to beat it—all for less than the price of a co-pay—Drugs for Less is the bestinvestment you can make in your health.

Michael P. Cecil, M.D., practices cardiology in Atlanta and has extensive experience in help-ing patients obtain medications at reduced or no cost. He received his medical degree fromthe University of Louisville and completed his post-graduate training at Emory University. Helives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Visit him at www.drmichael.com.

Hatherleigh Press5-22 46th Avenue, Suite 200Long Island City, NY 111011-800-528-2550www.healthylivingbooks.com

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