I recently needed an antibiotic eye ointment that costs $50 (with insurance). I searched the house for one of those pharmacy offers for a $25 gift card with a new prescription, and finally found one in a pile of papers. Expired. (Kmart had one in last Sunday’s newspaper — too late for me but perhaps not for you.)
When I looked online, I made another discovery: Manufacturers offer rebates, some quite substantial, on prescription medication. You can also find coupons and rebates online for over-the-counter medications, including pet medications and contact-lens supplies.
Some pharmaceutical companies have coupons on their websites, and some offer substantial discounts. AstraZeneca, for example, provides up to $50 per month for a year toward its heartburn medication, Nexium.
I used to take Singulair for allergies. The co-payment was $25 a month, and I found an online rebate for $20 a month. I’m sorry I didn’t know about that deal sooner. If I need more Patanol eye drops beyond the free sample I got from my doctor, the manufacturer has an online form for a $10 rebate.
I found savings ranging from $1 on Bayer Aspirin to $100 on several HIV drugs and on CellCept, an anti-rejection drug used after organ transplants.
Several websites, including www.internetdrugcoupons.com and www.optimizerx.com, aggregate links to coupons and rebate forms. You might also find coupons in magazines, and don’t forget to ask your doctor. My optometrist gave me a $2 coupon for an over-the-counter eyelid cleaner.
I didn’t find any deals on my $50 eye ointment, but all was not lost. I turned up several coupons for free flea-prevention medication for my cats.
