About 10 years ago, I had a grand-mal seizure and was diagnosed with epilepsy. My doctor proscribed a common medication for epileptics – Depakote. At the time, I had excellent health insurance, so the price of Depakote was not an issue. When I began my own business, however, my health insurance changed and the cost of Depakote became a major concern. Here is how I have managed to find the cheapest Depakote possible.
Brand-Name Depakote is Expensive
I had initially been proscribed brand-name Depakote, which was extremely expensive. Where I lived, Depakote cost between $300 and $375 for a 90 500-mg pills. Since I was taking three of these pills a day, I would have been forking over between $300 and $375 a month – over $10 a day – for my epilepsy medication! Thankfully, at the time, I had good health insurance.
Switching to Generic Divalproex Sodium (Depakote) Saved Me Money
When my health insurance situation changed, I talked to my doctor about finding a cheaper alternative to Depakote. We discussed several medications which were much less expensive. He mentioned a few epilepsy medications that cost only $20 to $50 a month. However, there were risks involved in switching from divalproex sodium, Depakote’s active ingredient, to another medication.
Since my physician was much more knowledgeable about treating epilepsy than I was, I decided to heed his advice. I stayed on divalproex sodium, but switched from brand-name Depakote to the generic equivalent. At the pharmacy, this reduced my monthly cost from about $300 a month to between $175 and $225 a month. Although $200 every month is still very expensive, switching to the generic drug saved me $100 every month – $1,200 annually!
My Doctor was Generous with Free Samples of Depakote
When we discussed the cost of Depakote, my doctor was surprised to learn how expensive Depakote is. Likewise, I was surprised to learn that he did not know how much epilepsy medicine costs. However, I figured his main job was to treat my tonic-clonic seizures, not balance my budget.
After discussing the price of Depakote, though, my physician was sympathetic. When I asked if he had any samples of Depakote I might have, he brought a month’s supply! Now, I knew to ask for samples from working in a different physician’s office. Every doctor has them, but I have never seen someone give away so many samples. This was very generous, and I was very thankful. Since that visit, I have not received as many, but even a two-day supply of Depakote samples saves me $15. I always ask for samples, and the office is usually happy to oblige.
Shopping Around Pharmacies Reduces the Cost of Depakote
As I said above, brand-name Depakote cost $300 to $375 in my area, and the generic drug runs from $175 to $225. By shopping around different pharmacies, I have been able to buy Depakote at the cheapest possible prices. Although $175 a month for medicine is not cheap, saving $50 a month helps my budget.
Combining Depakote with Reward Cards Saves Me More
Finally, I have been able to save a few extra bucks by purchasing Depakote at a specific grocery store in my area. This happens to be the cheapest pharmacy for me as well, so I do not have to sacrifice savings to use a rewards card. By scanning my card every time I purchase generic Depakote, the rewards add up quickly. These do not save me a lot of money, but every little bit helps.
Kylie Burtner has been paying for Depakote for 10 years to treat her epilepsy.
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