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Taking Charge of Your Health Care

Taking Charge of Your Health Care. Learning about Your Prescription Drug Options. Why?. Most older adults take at least one medication Almost half of older adults take more than three

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Taking Charge of Your Health Care

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  1. Taking Charge of Your Health Care Learning about Your Prescription Drug Options

  2. Why? • Most older adults take at least one medication • Almost half of older adults take more than three • Knowing how to talk to your doctor and pharmacist will help you manage your health, prevent drug interactions and may save money

  3. What You Will Learn • What to discuss with your professional health care team • How to manage your medications • Effective prescription drug use • How it can save money

  4. Have You Seen Drug Ads? There are so many prescriptions available and you are being marketed by drug companies; however, there may be cheaper alternatives.

  5. Drug Ad Drawbacks Drug Ad Drawbacks • http://video.consumerreports.org/services/player/bcpid25840123001?bclid=16601919001&bctid=25324749001

  6. Explore all options • Just because pharmaceutical companies have spent millions marketing a drug, doesn’t mean it’s the right one for you… • There other ways to manage your health through prescriptions that are just as effective and will save you money!

  7. Ad Watch: Boniva • http://video.consumerreports.org/services/player/bcpid25840123001?bclid=16601916001&bctid=21173416001

  8. Starting Out—Managing your Prescriptions Benefits of scheduling a medication or ‘brown-bag’ review • Organize all of your prescriptions • Understand why you are taking and why they are important • Cut down risk of unnecessary medications or dangerous drug interactions

  9. Reliable Sources of Information: Your Professional Health Care Team • Primary physician • Specialists • Nurses • Nurse practitioners/physician assistants • Pharmacists • Insurance company

  10. When Talking to Your Doctor: • Bring a list of all your prescriptions, or • Bring all your prescriptions in a paper bag • Take notes • Bring a buddy • Ask Questions!

  11. Important Questions • Why do I take this? • What are the side effects? • When do I take it? • How much does it cost? • Will it interfere with other medications?

  12. Blind Sided by Drug Costs? • http://video.consumerreports.org/services/player/bcpid25840123001?bclid=16601919001&bctid=15382494001

  13. Is there a Cheaper Alternative? • Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about a generic or over-the-counter drug. • Is it safe? • Is it as effective? • Is it cheaper? • Will it interact with my other medications?

  14. Taking Medication Faithfully and Effectively • It is more than just swallowing a pill: • Can be complicated to take • You don’t feel any different, or you feel worse • The prescription is expensive

  15. Follow a manageable routine • Keep medications in plain sight in cool dry place • Set timers and reminders • Avoid last minute refills • Keep a week’s worth of prescriptions separate in case of emergency

  16. Managing Costs through Generic Drugs • What is a Generic? • A copy of brand name medication whose patent has expired • Contains the exact chemical make up or formula of a brand name • Monitored the same as brand name prescriptions • Generics are available for approximately one half of all brand name prescriptions and cost about 80 to 85% less than brand name drugs

  17. How to find out if Generic is right for you • Examine your private insurance or Part D plan formulary • Evaluate your prescriptions with your doctor and through Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs drug reports • Consult the AARP Doughnut Hole Calculator

  18. How Do I Use Best Buy Drugs? 1. Go to www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org/BestBuyDrugs and get copies of the drug reports and recommended Best Buys for the medications that you take. 2. Take this information to your doctor and/or pharmacist, and ask them whether switching to a Best Buy drug makes sense for you. 3. If it does, ask your doctor to prescribe the Best Buy drug.

  19. What is the “Doughnut Hole Calculator”? The calculator will guide you through your prescription drug options using information about your plans and prescriptions to determine if or when you will fall into the coverage gap. www.aarp.org/doughnuthole

  20. Other Useful Resources for Saving Money • Medicare Extra Help Program (LIS) • Provides information about the Social Security assistance program and application process for the Medicare Part D Subsidy • BenefitsCheckUp • Find and enroll in federal, state, local and private programs that help pay for prescription drugs, utility bills, meals, health care and other needs.

  21. Useful Resources Continued • State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs (SPAP) • Provides information about any available state funded assistance programs for prescription drug costs. • Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs (PAP) • Provides information about pharmaceutical companies that offer assistance programs for the drugs they manufacture

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