7 Ways to Save Money on Prescription Drugs in 2026
The average American spends over $1,300 per year on prescription medications. Whether you're uninsured, underinsured, or just tired of high copays, here are seven proven ways to cut your drug costs — some of which your pharmacist won't tell you about.
This is the single biggest money saver. Generic drugs contain the same active ingredients as brand names and are FDA-approved to work identically. Ask your doctor "is there a generic for this?" every time you get a new prescription.
Example: Brand name Lipitor costs ~$300/month. Generic atorvastatin is ~$15/month. Same drug.
Services like GoodRx, RxSaver, and Amazon Pharmacy offer free discount cards that can beat your insurance copay. Always compare your insurance price with the discount card price — the card is often cheaper, especially for generics.
Pro tip: Prices vary wildly between pharmacies. The same drug can cost $8 at Costco and $45 at CVS. Always check multiple locations.
Many drugs cost the same regardless of dose. A 20mg tablet often costs the same as a 10mg tablet. If your doctor agrees, you can get a higher-dose prescription and split the pills in half with a $5 pill splitter.
Important: Not all pills can be split. Extended-release, enteric-coated, and capsule medications should never be split. Always ask your pharmacist first.
Most major pharmaceutical companies offer programs that provide free or heavily discounted medications to qualifying patients. Income limits vary but many cover households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level.
Check NeedyMeds.org or RxAssist.org for a database of programs. Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Lilly, and others all have programs.
Filling a 90-day supply instead of three 30-day fills is almost always cheaper. Mail-order pharmacies like Express Scripts, OptumRx, and Amazon Pharmacy specialize in this. You also save trips to the pharmacy.
CostPlusDrugs.com sells generic medications at cost plus a flat 15% markup and $5 shipping. No insurance needed. Their prices are transparent and often dramatically lower than traditional pharmacies. They now carry over 2,500 medications.
If your prescribed drug is expensive, ask your doctor if there's a cheaper drug in the same class that would work just as well. For example, if brand-name Crestor is expensive, generic pravastatin or simvastatin might be equally effective for your cholesterol at a fraction of the cost.
The Bottom Line
You don't have to choose between your health and your wallet. Between generics, discount cards, assistance programs, and smart shopping, most people can cut their prescription costs by 50% or more. Start with tip #1 (generics) and tip #2 (discount cards) — those alone can save the average person hundreds of dollars a year.