Ways to get the most from your medication
Managing medication is part of daily life for many people. Between busy schedules, multiple prescriptions and sometimes high costs, staying on track isn’t always easy. Yet taking your medication as prescribed is an important step in taking care of your health.
Why taking medication as prescribed matters
When taken correctly, medication helps manage chronic conditions, relieve symptoms and fight infections. While adjusting to new prescriptions can be challenging at first — especially remembering to take them regularly — establishing a consistent routine is worth the effort.
Tips for remembering to take your medication
Create a routine: Take medications at the same time each day, such as with meals or after brushing your teeth.
Use pill organizers: Weekly pill boxes help track whether you've taken your medications each day. For Medicare Advantage members, PillPack by Amazon Pharmacy (a preferred pharmacy) offers pre-sorted medications organized by date and time.
Set reminders: Use smartphone alarms, apps or calendar alerts to remind you when it's time for your medication.
Keep a medication list: Maintain an updated list of all your medications, including dosages and when to take them.
Sign up for medication refill reminders: Set up text alerts from your pharmacy to notify you when it's time to refill.
Talk to your health care provider: If you experience side effects or have concerns, discuss them with your doctor or pharmacist rather than stopping on your own. They can also prescribe generic alternatives that may lower your costs.
Ways to save on prescription costs
Go generic: If your doctor prescribes a brand name drug, ask them if a generic version is available since it typically costs less but contains the same active ingredients.
Shop around: Use Find a pharmacy in your regence.com account to compare medication prices, effectiveness and side effects, plus receive alerts for lower-cost alternatives.
Use discount programs: Some medications qualify for savings programs. Ask your pharmacist about available discounts, manufacturer coupons or patient assistance programs that may lower your costs.
Make fewer trips to the pharmacy
Get extended supplies: Ask your doctor or pharmacist about 90-day supplies for your medication. Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage offer up to 100-day supplies for the price of 90 days.
Schedule home delivery: Many drugstore chains now offer convenient delivery options. Medicare Advantage members can use Amazon Pharmacy as a preferred home delivery pharmacy. For most other plans, Express Scripts offers similar benefits and is the preferred delivery option.
We’re here to help
If you have questions about your medication or you’d like to learn more about home delivery pharmacies in your area, call the number on your member ID card and press 1 to talk about your prescription drug benefits. You can also find in-network home delivery pharmacies, as well as estimate and compare drug prices, when you sign in at regence.com.
