Sick About the High Cost of Meds? These Discounts Could Soothe Your Pain

Publix, home of the best sub sandwiches on earth (fight me), rolled out a program earlier this year to hook up customers with a 90-day supply of certain commonly prescribed medications for only $7.50 a pop.

Twenty-nine generic medications are on the list, including drugs to treat:

• Mental health
• Diabetes
• Arthritis pain
• Heart health
• Seizure disorders

Customers can get up to 90 days of prescription medications for a grand total of $7.50. That works out to only $2.50 per month.

Though the list of covered medications may seem random, it isn’t.

“We tried to pick one or more popular drugs used to treat many different health conditions, like High blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol [and so on],” Publix spokesman Brian West told The Penny Hoarder.

To receive medication through the “Next Best to Free” at Publix pharmacies, you’ll need a prescription from your doctor for the exact drug, dosage and form that appears on the list.

To make sure your medication qualifies, print the list from the Publix Pharmacy website to show your doctor, or ask the doctor’s office to call Publix to confirm your prescription meets the requirements.

If your medication isn’t on the list right now, don’t give up hope. It might still make the cut down the road.

“As appropriateness, popularity and pricing changes occur in the prescription drug marketplace, we expect changes to the list,” West said. “There may also be additions, deletions, or switches.”

There’s no paperwork to fill out or extra steps to fuss with to get the lower-cost medications.

The program, which West says is expected to continue indefinitely, is open to everyone regardless of insurance plan. However, it cannot be combined with other offers, discounts, rebates or promotions.

If the medication you take isn’t part of the low-price prescription drug program, don’t forget to check if it’s on Publix’s list of free medication.

Other Places to Find Low-Cost Prescription Medications

Publix isn’t the only pharmacy chain to offer free or low-cost prescription medications.

• Rite Aid’s free Rx Savings Program covers a range of generic medications for $9.99 to $15.99 depending on the prescription and quantity.
• Target offers dozens of generic medications for $4 for a 30-day supply or $10 for a 90-day supply.
• Walgreens offers over 400 value-priced generic medications for $9.99 to $12, depending on the prescription and quantity. A yearly membership fee of $20 for individuals or $35 for families is required.
• Walmart’s prescription program covers a variety of medications for $4 for a 30-day supply or $10 for a 90-day supply.  

If you do head over to Publix for your next batch of medications, don’t forget to pick up a Pub sub. You can thank me later.

Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Guess what she’s having for lunch.