Meeting Maintenance Medication Needs At Minimal Cost
Maintenance medications can become part of a person’s basic needs and should be taken into careful consideration when budgeting one’s expenses, especially if he/she only has minimal funds available. There are many individuals who have certain health problems and/or disabilities. Their conditions, however, have greatly improved after taking maintenance drugs.
Maintenance medications have been effective in controlling psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, among others. Likewise, recurring neurological conditions such as epilepsy, amnesia, severe migraines, etc. have successfully been managed using maintenance drugs. These types of medicines have also aided in improving the health of body systems – cardio-pulmonary, respiratory, and digestive, among others.
Taking this form of medical treatment, as prescribed by one’s physician does not only help improve one’s health condition. It can also prevent untoward incidents in a person’s life such accidents. Indeed, maintenance medications can become part of one’s life’s basic necessities, falling under the same category as food, shelter, and clothing. So, these types of drugs should be among those that need to be prioritized when you budget your expenses.
Maintenance medicines are usually prescription drugs, requiring a physician’s approval before it can be purchased by a person. Also, these drugs are, most of the time more expensive than ordinary ones. Thus this necessitates good budgeting of one’s finances; especially if one has minimal funds in his/her hand, to ensure that he/she has sufficient supply of these drugs when the need arises.
Budgeting for one’s maintenance medications can be done based on his/her prescribed dosage as well as his/her frequency of its intake. Not all maintenance drugs need to be taken daily. Some only need to be taken when the need arises. Dosage varies from one person to another. It also changes from time to time as quantity and even frequency of a person’s intake of them may be based on his/her weight, which might rise and fall now and then.
Though one may be carefully budget for his/her maintenance medications needs, there is still the realty of financial constraints in life that might make it difficult for him/her to purchase them. When such circumstances happen, the individual can consider taking generic drugs. Generic drugs have passed Food and Drug Authority (FDA) standards in terms of strength, quality, and potency, among others and are usually less expensive. Deciding on and taking generic drugs, however, should not be done hastily.
It is first important to consult one’s physician, as he/she knows your condition very well. (It is also advised to learn more about one’s condition; since this can help him/her manage himself/herself better in life.) Having gained permission from the doctor, and knowing the medicine’s generic name, it is now time to make a list of generic drugs, with their corresponding prices and potential suppliers. Get as much information about them by researching on the internet, reading medical books, and making inquiries from medically knowledgeable people. These include, but are not limited to nurses, physical therapist, medical sales representatives, and other doctor, friends, acquaintances, etc.
Make price comparisons of these generic medicines, taking note that smaller cost does not spell out lesser medical effectiveness in treating one’s health concerns. Also, price should not be the only basis when purchasing these generic drugs. Make sure that the sources of these generic maintenance medicines are also reliable. It is here where one’s previous research efforts pay off, especially when one has only has minimal funds. Lastly, it is imperative to once again consult and your physician, securing his/her final approval prior to purchasing these alternative brands of maintenance medications.
Maintenance medications can become a basic need of an individual, so it should be included in careful budgeting, especially when one’s funds are limited. This can be addressed by trying out generic drugs, which are, most the time, as potent as regular brands. This is because these medicines have been tested and passed the FDA standards.
Photo Attribution:
Featured and 1st image by ddpavumba / freedigitalphotos
2nd image by Salvatore Vuono / freedigitalphotos
3rd image by stockimages / freedigitalphotos
