Medication Assistance Programs

When we’re talking about coupons, it’s important to distinguish between manufacturer drug coupons and prescription discount coupons. Manufacturer coupons, also referred to as copay coupons or copay assistance programs, are issued by the pharmaceutical company that makes a particular brand name drug and can only be used on that brand of drug.

There are some disadvantages to drug manufacturer copay coupons. Generally speaking:

• They can only be used for a limited number of refills.
• Many of these coupons exclude people with Medicare, Medicaid or other government insurance.
• There are often generic medications that are significantly cheaper than the brand-name versions.
• Most (not all) manufacturer coupons lower your out-of-pocket cost by a fixed amount. For example, the coupon might say, “save $15 on a 90-day supply of this drug.” This may not give you the best savings because the price of a drug will vary from one pharmacy to another.
• For more detailed info about how manufacturer drug coupons work, read our article titled, “What Are Drug Coupons, Why Do They Exist and How Do They Work?“

Prescription discount coupons are different from manufacturer copay coupons because they come from a third-party company, called a Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM), that negotiates lower rates directly with pharmacies. When using such a coupon, consumers should be aware that discount prices can change frequently. This means that every time you refill a prescription, you may have to get a new coupon because the price may have changed. Additionally, prescription discount coupons from a PBM cannot be used to reduce your insurance copay amount, unlike the copay assistance coupons from a manufacturer.