CONSUMER ALERTS

Save money with generic prescription drugs

The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) offers information on how to save up to 50 percent on some prescription drugs by using low-cost generic drugs that are the therapeutic equivalent of brand names. When your doctor prescribes a drug for you, ask if there are suitable generic alternatives. These drugs can save you a lot of money while treating your condition just as effectively.

   Although pharmacists cannot fill a prescription with a brand-name drug if a doctor has authorized a therapeutic equivalent, they are not required to give you the lowest-priced generic drug available. So you can save even more by pricing your prescriptions at several drugstores. New York State law requires pharmacists to provide customers with a list of current prices for the usual doses of the 150 most commonly prescribed brand-name drugs and their generic equivalents. Check your own state’s website or ask your doctor about the law there.

    New York State law also requires pharmacists to dispense drugs as prescribed. If your doctor prescribes a generic, the pharmacy should not substitute it with a more costly brand-name drug. The one exception: If the generic is out of stock, the pharmacist may fill your prescription with a brand-name drug. In a medical emergency, the pharmacy can charge the brand-name price, but otherwise, you must be billed the generic price.

    If a generic drug is unavailable because it is out of stock, the pharmacist must tell you, which gives you the option of waiting for the drug to be restocked or filling your prescription at another pharmacy.
   Senior citizens may be able to save money on prescriptions through Elder Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC), a drug assistance program operated by New York State. If you live elsewhere, there may be similar programs available; ask your doctor or check your state’s website. To find out if you qualify for EPIC and to get more information, call the toll-free number: (800) 332-3742.

   If you believe your pharmacist or pharmacy is in violation of the New York State Drug Compliance Law by ignoring your doctor’s prescription orders or filling them incorrectly, not offering counseling services, or failing to maintain your medication profile, you can file a complaint with:

New York State Education Department
Office of Professional Discipline
475 Park Avenue South, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10016-6901
(212) 951-6400

In your own state, check your phone book or look on your state government’s website. For more details on generic drugs, read the full text of DCA’s online publication at http://nyc.gov/html/dca/html/publications/publications_generic_drugs.shtml.