Public Employee Press

You can save money with pill-splitting device

With some medications, you can cut your prescription costs by splitting the tablets prescribed by your doctor.

The Half Tab Rx program of Innoviant, which administers the union’s prescription drug benefit, encourages participants to split their tablets to save money. The program lists about 20 safe to split medications, giving participants a free pill splitting device.

How do you save money by splitting your tablets?

Some medications cost about the same regardless of the dose. By getting a prescription for the higher dosage and cutting the pills in half, you also cut your co-payment cost in half.

For instance, the 20 mg and 40 mg pills of a popular drug that reduces cholesterol both cost $95.70 for a 30-day supply; Innoviant charges members of the DC 37 Health and Security Plan only the $15 co-pay.

If you usually take the 20 mg pills, you could stretch your $15 co-pay to cover 60 days of medication by getting a 30-day supply of the 40 mg pills and splitting them. That would trim your co-pays from $180 to $90 in a year. What’s more, you would save the Plan $484.20 a year, helping it control its prescription drug costs.

To participate in the Half Tab Rx program, discuss it with your physician first. If you and your physician agree it would be safe, you will need a prescription for the higher dose of your medicine. The prescription must indicate that you should take half a tablet daily.

You can buy a pill-splitter at your pharmacy or get one free from Innoviant at 800-207-1561.

The Half Tab Rx program covers these brand-name drugs: Ambien, Atacand, Avapro, Cozaar, Crestor, Diovan, Lexapro, Lipitor and Toprol XL. Covered generic drugs include benazepril (brand name: Accupril), citalopram (Celexa), doxazosin (Cardura), fosinopril (Monopril), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), paroxetine (Paxil), pravastatin (Pravachol), quinapril (Accupril), sertraline (Zoloft) and simvastatin (Zocor).