Patients with serious health conditions often require specialty medications. Typically, these are more expensive than regular drugs, often costing hundreds or thousands of dollars for each prescription. These pharmaceutical products require special handling and administration, and the majority of retail pharmacies do not stock them.
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Insured patients may need authorization to fill specialty medication prescriptions, or be required to go through a specialty pharmacy. Insurance companies, manufacturers or the government usually provide financial support to patients taking these medications.
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For more information about reducing the cost of specialty medication, patients are advised to visit the manufacturers website, which usually lists patient assistance programs.