All you need to know about Drug Discount Cards

Drug Discount Cards is a topic usually accompanied by a lot of intrigue. You might have received such cards in your mailbox, from your employer, or from the doctor’s clinic you visited recently. And, you may not know it, but they need your attention. The truth is that your failure to use these cards may result in paying extra bucks that could be thousands of dollars every year towards prescription drugs.

It’s easy to understand that the decision to use drug discount cards is often taken with reluctance – because these are generally free. In fact, many people don’t use these cards as they are afraid of being conned. Well, if you are one of them, then this article is for you. Read on to know all that you ever wanted to know about drug discount cards and, also learn some tips on how to use them smartly.

How do Drug Discount Cards work?

In 2016, a Journal of the American Medical Association study revealed that the per capital prescription drug spending in the US is higher than the rest of the world countries. With prescription medications costs being incredibly high in the country, consumers need a way to save more. And that is what drug discount cards help them do.

The process of using these cards is simple. A consumer with a prescription drug card can visit the pharmacy and avail a discount on the pricing of the medications. Once they present the discount card to the pharmacy, they will also receive a quote for the amount of savings they can make on their purchase. If the consumer finds the quote suitable, they can use their Drug Discount card to make the purchase and save money.

Who accepts drug discount cards?

All partner pharmacies and drug stores accept these cards but, if the card is issued by a pharmacy, then the chances are high that it may not be accepted by any other competing pharmacy chain.

How much can you save using these cards?

Drug discount cards can help you save several dollars on prescriptions. Though many factors determine the exact amount of money you can save on prescriptions, you are likely to make substantial savings with the use of these cards.  

What types of drugs are covered by these discount cards?

While different types of drug discount cards are available today, some may be restricted to be used for a particular category of drugs. Nevertheless, all drug discount cards cover brand-name drugs, over the counter drugs and generic drugs.

Some Helpful Tips while using Drug Discount Cards

Read Terms and Conditions: No one likes to read those lengthy terms and policies that come along with cards, but smart buyers do. Make sure you carefully read all the conditions on the use of your drug discount card. Understand which all pharmacies or stores accept the card. Also, know if it will have any impact on your insurance.

Check the prices: Just like manufacturers, retailers also set different prices on the drugs that they sell. Therefore, before you use your card, contact a few pharmacies and find out the total amount of money they will be charging for the Prescription drugs that you need. Compare prices and use your card at a reliable pharmacy that offers the best price and savings.

Pick generic drugs: You can save a lot of money on generic counterparts of brand-name drugs. So, whenever you can, don’t hesitate from going generic. Moreover, it’s important to be an aware buyer and use your drug discount card wisely. Simply follow these easy tips and pay less for prescription drugs.

At GmeRx, we aim to ease the process of saving on your drug purchases while enabling consumers to gain access to high quality drugs. Register for our drug discount card and save more today!

If you have questions and concerns about using a drug discount card to avail more benefits, we are here to help. Drop in an inquiry at savings@gmerxonline.com

Increasing prescription drug prices in the US over the past decade

Each year, millions of Americans struggle to afford prescription drugs. Reason: The ever-increasing prescription drug prices in the country. As compared to the prices of food, alcohol, clothing, and accessories, prescription drugs go through a steep price increase every year.

Out of all these commodities mentioned, pharmaceutical drugs are, perhaps, the most important ones. Even though they have a huge impact on patients’ lives, these are still highly priced – leaving no other choice with the patients, but to buy them. In turn, this further increases the prescription drugs costs. Coming out of this vicious circle of price rise seems like an impossibility, at least in the near future.

Prescription Drug Prices Trends

• In 2007, the AARP reported that prescription drug prices in the nation climbed almost twice as high as America’s general inflation rate in 2006.
• In 2010, prescription drug expenses accounted 10% of the $2.6 trillion of total health care expenditures made in the country.
• In 2016, a publication in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) revealed that the per capita spending on prescription drugs was $858 in 2013, as compared to an average of $400 for 19 other industrialized nations.
• In July 2017, a study by the Commonwealth Fund highlighted that from 2013 to 2018, the growth in health care spending is estimated at 5.2 percent, while the growth in prescription drug spending is expected to be 7.2 percent.

Factors contributing to high prescription drug prices in the U.S.

Increasing prescription drug prices affect not only the patients but also the providers, payers, and policymakers. Some of the factors that collectively lead to an increase in the U.S. prescription drug prices include:

• High prices for new launches and high annual hikes for patented brand-name drugs
• Monopolies for drugs that help some of the manufacturers to increase their prices sharply
• Anticompetitive behavior by some manufacturers also results in less competition and higher prices
• Monopoly pricing exercised by some brand-name drugs’ manufacturers using current patent-protection policies
• Absence of strong competition amongst generic drugs’ manufacturers, which leads to higher drug prices
• Lack of information among patients, providers, and payers about the effectiveness of different drugs
• While searching for the most suitable course of treatment available, many patients, providers, and payers are not provided necessary pricing information by the pharmaceutical distribution system
• Failure of the policymakers to implement important price-related measures that can help in controlling the high prescription drug prices

The Way Ahead

While the prices of prescriptions drugs are governed mainly by the policymakers and the drug manufacturers, there are a few actions that patients can take to avoid getting stuck in the dreadful cycle of high-cost pharmaceutical drugs. Some of these actions are:

• Search for a pharmacy that offers discounts. Doing this can help you reduce your yearly expenses on prescription drugs by a great margin.
• Use drug discount cards. These cards are usually available free of cost and can help you negotiate on the pricing of prescription drugs and get them at somewhat affordable prices.

If you have questions and concerns about using a drug discount card to avail more benefits, we are here to help. Drop in an inquiry at savings@gmerxonline.com

Ways to prevent prescription drugs from burning a hole in your pockets

America is one of the strongest economies across the globe but the rising costs of prescription drugs every now and then have created a noticeable effect on the country’s economy. The rising costs of drugs, coupled with the increasing cost of living, has benefited the multinational pharmaceutical companies but keep affecting the consumers on a large scale.

The rising costs of prescription drugs pose a great impact on consumers’ medical budget, especially given that a majority of Americans are not enrolled under any medical insurance and thus pay for drugs from their pockets. In addition, not all medical insurance companies cover all kinds of drugs, thus creating a significant burden on the entire family. Jaw-dropping prices of prescription drugs related to certain chronic conditions can pretty much leave a huge hole in your pockets.

GmeRx offers drug discount cards that can be used at over 60,000 partner-pharmacies to avail discounts of up to 85% on your prescription drug costs. We’ve come up with some simple and easy ways to cut down on your prescription drug costs substantially.

Find the best drug discount card provider in the market

There are several drug discount card providers in the market. Companies such as GmeRx have partnered with multiple drug stores across the country to deliver prescription drugs at discounted prices. In certain cases, the discounts range up to 85%, thus helping you make substantial savings.

Given the large number of drug discount card providers, it is essential to find the one that suits your needs. One way to determine the best is to compare the options and choose the best.

You may consider pharmacies covered and their locality, 24/7 availability, and accessibility as the primary factors considering the fact that you purchase drugs from your nearest pharmacist. In this regard, GmeRx has partnered with 60,000+ pharmacies across the USA, which is pretty much 1+ pharmacist in every location.

Compare Prices at Pharmacies

In general, pharmacists do provide a certain discount on drugs, but this is not practically possible on prescription drugs, unlike the over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Shopping around to find lowest prices on each and every drug is an hectic option to start of with.

Hence, drug discount card providers such as GmeRx have created a fixed discount percentage on each drug, which will be the final and best price for the specific drug. Basically, half of your job is done here.

If you are still interested in shopping around, you might consider shopping around for drug discount cards, but remember that not all drug discount card providers are transparent with their discount percentages.

Get a Prescription Drug Discount Card!

Get a discount card, whether or not you have a medical insurance. Here’s why.

A drug discount card can offer you with a substantial amount of savings on your prescription bills, irrespective of whether the drugs are covered under insurance or not. Drug discount cards can be used at multiple partner pharmacies thus saving time and effort.

At GmeRx, we believe that every American has a right to better savings, which is why we deliver free prescription drug discount cards to make your prescription drug purchases more hassle-free. If you have questions and concerns about using a drug discount card to avail more benefits, we are here to help. Drop in an inquiry at savings@gmerxonline.com