Don't ever overpay for prescriptions—even well-marketed ones

You may not mind paying for convenience, but it's always worth shopping around.

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE WED, DEC 28, 2022 This week's newsletter was written by Ryan Ermey, a senior reporter covering money and investing for CNBC Make It. You can follow him on Twitter @RyanErmey.   How much would you pay to preserve the thing you find most attractive about yourself?   For me, that thing is my hair. In times when I felt otherwise unappealing, my hair was always there — thick, coifed and widow's peaked. So at the very first signs my hairline was receding in my mid-20s, I started taking a drug to stop it.   It was an emotionally driven decision, one that, if you're not careful, can see you parting with more of your money than necessary.   In the years since I began preempting my hair loss, a handful of companies have begun marketing to people with similar anxieties to mine. All boast well-designed websites, discreet packaging and messaging providing reassurance that your thinning hair or sexual underperformance can be treated without the awkwardness of seeing your doctor.   Had they been around at the time, these are companies I likely would have signed up with. And I'd have likely overpaid. Sign up for an online hair loss subscription, and you'll be paying $20 a month or more for the drug I take, finasteride. I pay $13 for a three-month supply at my pharmacy.   That might not seem like a huge difference. After all, you pay for convenience. To get my lower price, I had to visit my doctor, compare prices online and show my face at an actual pharmacy.   But if you're on a budget or in need of expensive treatment, this kind of legwork is almost certainly worth it.   Going to the doctor isn't anyone's idea of fun, especially for treatment you're sensitive about.  But your physician ideally has a holistic view of your health. Maybe symptoms you're hoping to treat are actually side effects from another drug you're taking. Maybe there's a cheaper alternative to a treatment you'll have trouble affording. You won't know unless you ask your doctor.   The same goes for an in-person pharmacist, who may be able to point you to coupons, rebates or copay assistance programs available for drugs you've been prescribed.   And never pay the sticker price for medication without doing some online sleuthing first. Free coupons at sites such as GoodRx and ScriptSave WellRx can slash your prescription costs down to practically nothing.   Plus, depending on your financial situation, you may qualify for free or discounted medicine through pharmaceutical companies' patient assistance programs. Search for your treatment on NeedyMeds.org to see if such a program exists and how to apply. What do you want to see from the Make It video team? Take this survey to share your thoughts. Trending articles from CNBC Make It America's richest lost $660 billion collectively in 2022 — Elon Musk lost the most These are the 10 most expensive ZIP codes in the Northeast Here's the 'most overlooked' skill young people need to be successful, says millennial therapist Prevent burnout by spotting these red and green flags before taking the job Mark Cuban wants to buy more bitcoin, says gold investors are 'dumb' Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Digital Products Join the CNBC Panel Feedback Terms of Service Privacy Policy   © 2021 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBC Universal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS