Some drug insurances and employers are promoting the concept of pill splitting. Here's the idea. Many medications are available in different dosages. For our example let's use the drug Lipitor. Lipitor is used to control cholesterol. It is available in 20mg and 40mg tablets. Traditionally, people needing a dose of 20mg per day would be dispensed thirty 20mg tablets; taking one tablet each day. Most drug insurances will charge the person a copay; the amount of the drug's retail cost not covered by the insurance. For our example we will say the copay is $20. So each month, the person gets 30 Lipitor tablets at the pharmacy and pays the $20 copay. The quantity of 30 tablets will last him 30 days.
Pill splitting can decrease the copay by half. Here's how. In our example, our patient takes one 20mg tablet of Lipitor each day, for a total of 30 tablets per month. In an effort to cut copay costs, the doctor prescribes the patient Lipitor 40mg tablets and has him split the pill in half to get his 20mg dose for the day. The same 30 tablets now last 60 days because only 1/2 the 40mg tablet is being taken each day. The copay for the 30 tablets of Lipitor 40mg will still be $20 but the patient will only have to get the prescription filled every other month, saving him $20 in copays.
What's Being Done To Lower Drug Costs
Let's look at our example a different way:
- Lipitor 20mg per day - (1) 20mg tablet each day - 30 tablets per month with a copay of $20
- Lipitor 20mg per day - (1/2 tablet) 40mg tablet each day = 20mg dose - 30 tablets now last 60 days for the same $20 copay.
Pill splitting can be an easy way to save some money but unfortunately it doesn't work for everyone. For example:
- Capsules can't be split so any medicine that is in a capsule form can't be prescribed using the pill splitting method.
- HIV meds are single dose medicines which mean there is no way to split a dose and still get the proper amount of medicine.
- Only tablets that have a scored line down the center can be split or broken in half.
- Some medicines can't be broken or crushed because it will affect the way they are absorbed in the body. If the medication is poorly absorbed it will not be as effective.
What To Do Before Trying Pill Splitting
Before you use pill splitting to save some money there are a few things you must do first.- Check with your doctor and your pharmacist to see if the medicines you are taking can be split.
- If your doctor okays pill splitting, purchase a pill splitter. A pill splitter is a small, inexpensive device that uses a small, sharp blade to split pills cleanly and accurately. While many pills can be split by hand, doing so leaves room for error and increases the chance of inaccurate breaks or wasting medication. Using a pill splitter will allow you to break your pills accurately, assuring you get the proper dose of medicine.
Pill Splitter Price and Buying Guide
Ask your doctor and your pharmacist today if pill splitting will work for you. It may just save you some money.
