As patients and consumers, we face more and more choices about our health care each year.

We all support consumer empowerment in decisions about their care, but consumers don’t always have all the information they need to choose between different prescription drugs.

And the billions of dollars that the drug industry spends on advertising to patients and doctors is designed to make things worse. Industry advertises expensive new drugs, but not equally effective and lower-cost alternatives.

But trends are changing. State laws promoting the use of generic medications have saved consumers hundreds of billions of dollars. Employers are educating their employees to emphasize value — getting an equally effective drug that costs one-tenth as much as a brand-name option. For example, skipping the $200-a-month Nexium, and choosing Prilosec — made by the same manufacturer with the same active ingredient — for just $27.

Whether you or your organization’s members are uninsured, have high copays, or just want to be sure to get the best value for their health care dollar, these resources can help advocates, doctors, and patients make better choices for their health – and their wallets.

The Truth About Generics – safe and affordable

Generics are as safe and effective as their brand-name counterparts, but can cost 90 percent less. Go here to see why generic drugs are an affordable option used by nearly all patients.

New Generic Drugs Coming this year, and next!

Is your drug going generic soon? Dozens of expensive brand-name drugs like Cipro and Provigil have become generic, and their prices are dropping… Generic Plavix costs less than $15 even without insurance. See this year and next year’s newest generic drugs.

Uninsured? Here are some ultra-low cost options

Go here to see why, and see how you can find hundreds of drugs for $4 or $5 — many of the same drugs that you may be taking now, available at a lower cost. And learn why drug costs can vary so much from pharmacy to pharmacy.

If an expensive brand name drug is your only option, and you meet other insurance and income qualifications, a local hospital or community health center may be able to help you find low cost medicines. Find out more here.

Is that drug coupon a good thing? Maybe not!

Did you find a coupon by a drug manufacturer online? You should think twice about using it to make Nexium or some other drug more affordable. Read this to see how these coupons can actually turn over your personal private health information to the drug company, and cost you more in the long run. If you have drug coverage through Medicare or Medicaid, using a manufacturer coupon is prohibited by federal law.

Please help us share these resources!

These consumer resources were created through the generous support of the California HealthCare Foundation, and are intended to be shared freely with the public, including on other organization’s websites.

Please contact us at wwilkinson(at)communitycatalyst.org if we can help you share these resources with your members, assist you posting them on your website, or if you want to host a guest blog on ways to find affordable medications.

– Wells Wilkinson,  Project Director Prescription Access Litigation