In the United States, prescription drug costs can be prohibitive. Americans pay more money for prescription medications—$1,200 per person per year on average— than any other nation in the world. A Kaiser Family Foundation report found that 24% of Americans were struggling to afford their medications, and 29% of US adults were not taking their medications as prescribed to save money.

With no government regulations to control drug prices in the US, you should expect medication costs to increase even further in the future. Fortunately, you don’t have to skip your medications or take your medicines less than their recommended dosage to reduce healthcare costs. With some careful planning, you can save significant amounts of money on your prescriptions.

Follow these smart strategies to save money on medications and support your wellbeing:

Buy Generic Medications if Available

Generic medications are drugs that are bioequivalent to the original brand-name medication. These drugs have alternative names, but contain identical active ingredients and deliver the same therapeutic benefits as the brand-name counterpart. Generic drugs are often much less expensive than the brand-name version because the generic drug manufacturer did not pay billions of dollars for research and development to discover and formulate the medication.

Not all medications have a generic equivalent, as generic drugs can be manufactured only if the patent on the original drug has expired. Ask your physician and pharmacist if your brand-name prescription medication has a generic alternative. If your medication has a generic equivalent, always buy the generic version as it will deliver the same clinical effects and save you a lot of money. Generic medications help treat your condition without putting a dent in your pocket.

Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle

Implementing positive lifestyle changes especially for diabetic patients, such as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and getting better-quality sleep can significantly improve your overall wellbeing, reducing the need for medication consumption. Many studies have found that healthy lifestyle changes can prevent common chronic metabolic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol, or treat the condition when afflicted with the disease.

Healthy eating, active living, and getting sufficient quality sleep can also reduce chronic inflammation, relieving the symptoms of many inflammatory diseases such as arthritis. Arthritis is one of the most common chronic diseases in older Americans, causing severe joint pain and disability. Lifestyle modifications can reduce the symptoms of inflammatory diseases like arthritis, bringing sufferers natural, drug-free pain relief.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle can relieve the symptoms of many common chronic diseases, decreasing the need for medication intake and reducing your healthcare costs.

Take Advantage of Your Insurance

You probably pay a lot of money for your health insurance, so make the most of it. Health insurance companies have a list of generic and brand-name prescription drugs that they help cover. This list is known as the “formulary.” Many insurance companies have an app or a medication pricing tool on their website to help you find out if your prescription drugs are on their formulary or covered by your plan.

If scanning the list of covered drugs is cumbersome for you, call the insurance company and ask for help. Inform your insurance provider of the medications you take and ask them if they cover the cost of the drugs or if they provide a more affordable alternative to help you pay less for medication copayments.

If you must consume a prescribed medication for a long time, buy a large supply to pay less for copayments. Instead of buying a 30-day supply and making one copayment, buy a 90-day supply and make one copayment every three months.

Be a Smart Shopper

Prescription medication costs can vary widely among different pharmacies. Some pharmacies buy medications directly from the drug manufacturer, while others purchase from a middleman which can drive up the cost of their medicines. Before you go shopping for your medications, invest some time researching and comparing costs to determine where you can get the lowest price.

Even if your insurance covers some of the cost of your medications, you may find that the discounted product will come out cheaper than your copayment. If you don’t have the time to look around for the best deals, don’t worry. There are plenty of smartphone medical apps that you can use to find the prices of medications at different pharmacies. Use these apps to compare prices and find the best deals so you can save more money on your healthcare costs.

Smart Strategizing Can Help You Save on Long-Term Medications

Prescription medications are expensive in the US, and unfortunately,  their costs will continue to soar. Even with insurance coverage, many Americans still can’t afford their healthcare costs. But skipping or skimping on medication is not a wise solution to save money on your health care.

Investing some time upfront to plan on strategies for acquiring more affordable medication can help you save money and protect your health. Follow the tips we discussed above to help you get more affordable medication and promote optimal health and wellbeing.