Costs of medication is on the rise but there is a way to fight the prices

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Pain at the pharmacy.

Across the nation, many people struggle to afford their prescriptions. Costs of medication are sky-rocketing. Some of that medication some people can’t live without.

Chances are you know someone feeling the pocket pinch when it comes to buying prescriptions. And the costs seem to keep rising.

“It’s horrible, especially for senior citizens who are on a fixed income,” said Helen Taylor.

She’s a diabetic and can’t afford her insulin.

She says her insulin costs $600 for an 18-day supply.

“I really live off of samples rather than filling my prescriptions that I really can’t afford,” said Taylor.

Insulin is just one of her medications, there are other prescriptions she has to foot the bill for.

“If I paid $600 for the insulin, $178  for that one, eye drops are $25 a bottle, there’s two of those, I would spend more than a thousand dollars a month just on medicine,” said Taylor.

But it’s not just consumers.

Pharmacies, too, see the price spike.

“We’ve seen generic companies as well really limit the number of products that are getting to market, which in a free market they were just gonna have an increase in the cost,” said  BJ Cougle.

Cougle is the owner of BJ’s Family Pharmacy.

He said there are different resources out there to hopefully lower the costs.

There’s government agencies like Medicare, even manufactured coupons that may be able to make your medication more affordable.

“Not every place does that so it is super important for people to try and look at options.
There might be a generic equivalent for them that might be cheaper. There may be another drug in the same class where they co-pay might be cheaper,” said Cougle.

While the battle of medication cost continues for Taylor, she says she’ll keep fighting.

“It’s getting hard but you wanna continue to live too,” said Taylor.

Cougle said to make sure that you ask your doctor and pharmacist about ways to lower the cost of your prescriptions.

He said that they’re there to help you.