ORLANDO, Fla. – How would you like a "super discount" on your prescription drugs?
On average, U.S. Consumers spend nearly $1000 per person every year on prescription medications.
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Patients who can't turn to generic drugs are faced with sticker shock every month unless they turn to a very reliable secret weapon: Discount Coupons.
Dennis Pustinger, the pharmacy manager at Walgreens on International Drive says most pharmacies will accept the coupons yet many consumers don't take advantage of them.
"I've seen it save as much as $50 to $100 or sometimes more on a particular medication," he said.
The coupons are out there for the asking either from your personal physician, pharmacist or web sites.
InternetDrugCoupons.com claims to be one of the first web sites of its kind to offer coupons from almost every pharmaceutical company.
The site, established in 2007, offers a free membership card that can be used at a long list of central Florida pharmacies including Walgreens, CVS, Target and Walmart.
It also has a link to every available coupon for prescription and non-prescription drugs offering savings of 10 percent to 75 percent on most "not all" drugs.
Nicole Flemming represented three drug companies during eight years as pharmaceutical sales representative in Central Florida.
Flemming says the discounts are very real, designed to counter generic drug prices.
"…Even if there's a $100 off there's still going to be a minimum, sometimes it's $10 or $15 but still that's very competitive," she says.
Most Pharmaceutical companies offer discount coupons on their web sites.
GlaxoSmithKline has options for consumers with or without insurance coverage.
Most sites will give you access to free samples and discount coupons.
For example, on the Glaxo site the company offers a discount deal on LOVAZA a treatment for diabetes.
The patient will pay the first $10 and GSK pays up to $50 for up to 12 prescription refills.
Another discount option is a membership with a local pharmacy's prescription discount club.
Walgreens offers an annual membership for $20 a person or $35 for a family.
Pustinger says you usually will get the membership fee back after one prescription purchase.
"We want you to manage the best possible outcomes," he says.
Pharmacists say consumers need to bring the discount coupon when they are ordering the prescription.
Anyone with government insurance programs may not be eligible to use the coupon discounts.