prescription drugs | Georgetown Pediatrics

If you are buying any prescription medications for your child, your teen, or yourself, then you know how pricey they can be. Sometimes they are covered by insurance; sometimes insurance only pays a fraction; and there are drugs that are not covered by insurance and families that don’t have prescription coverage at all.

No matter your situation, there are still ways you can save, even as prescription drug prices continue to rise.

Buy a generic drug alternative. Not all drugs have generic versions, but when they do the generic is usually quite a bit less expensive. Ask your physician or pharmacist if there is a generic available for a particular drug.

Talk to the doctor. In addition to knowing about generic alternatives, your pediatrician may know of a less expensive option for the drug your child is taking. There won’t always be another alternative, but it’s certainly worth asking about.

Look for cheaper prices. If you think the drug prices at your pharmacy are too high, call around. Sometimes there can be quite a difference from one pharmacy to another.

Look online for coupons or other resources. Some pharmaceutical companies have special programs for uninsured patients, or for patients who have difficulty paying even with insurance. In addition, you can often find coupons for particular drugs from a pharmaceutical company.

Drugs aren’t likely to get cheaper anytime soon, and yet they are often necessary. We want to help you find less expensive alternatives. Please ask us.

A new study in Pediatrics, a publication of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), shows that a surprisingly large percentage of adults give the wrong dosages of medications to children and infants.

Incorrect dosages can be harmful, even dangerous. When the pediatrician writes a prescription or recommends an over-the-counter drug, they take into account a child’s health, age, size and other factors, including other medications he may be taking. It’s important to be accurate when dispensing those meds.

The main problem, according to the study, has to do with measuring.

Adults who measured with teaspoons and tablespoons were twice as likely to make errors as those who used milliliters as their measuring standard.
Never just pull out a spoon from your flatware or plastic ware to measure medicine. These spoons can vary widely in the amount of liquid they hold.
Purchase a measuring instrument (dropper or spoon) in the pharmacy department of your discount or grocery store. Make sure it uses milliliters for measurement.
Measure accurately.
Keep a written record of when you’ve given a medication and how much. Many people unintentionally create problems when one person in the household dispenses a drug, not knowing that someone else has already given the medicine.

If you’re ever unsure about a dosage, call your pediatrician’s office. Safety with drugs, whether prescription or OTC, is essential.

Georgetown Pediatrics

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Tag Archives: prescription drugs

How to save money on your prescription medications!

Be careful to give accurate dosage amounts to children