How to Get Affordable Prescriptions

Prescription drug costs in the United States are the highest in the world — often 3–10 times higher than in other wealthy countries — and represent one of the most significant sources of financial burden for American patients. But a range of tools, programs, and strategies can dramatically reduce what you pay for medications, sometimes to near zero. Many patients are unaware of these options and pay far more than necessary.

Generic Medications: The Most Important First Step

Generic medications contain the same active ingredient, at the same dose, with the same route of administration and the same bioavailability as brand-name drugs — they are therapeutically equivalent. The FDA requires generics to demonstrate bioequivalence to their brand-name counterpart.

Generics are dramatically less expensive — often 80–90% cheaper than brand-name versions. When a brand-name drug patent expires (typically 20 years from patent filing), multiple generic manufacturers enter the market and drive prices down through competition.