Pill Splitting: Way to Reduce Prescription Drugs Cost

Richard Smith
3 min readAug 20, 2020

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Pills and capsules in a palm
Pills and capsules in a palm

Pill Splitting: Way to Reduce Prescription Drugs Cost

Start cutting down the prescription drug cost almost right away using a pill-splitter.

What is pill splitting?

Pill-splitting, also known as pill cutting is a method in which you divide a dose into two halves that are equal portions. It is primarily done to save on costs. Pills are available in double the strength and such pills more often than not aren’t twice as expensive. This makes it perfectly sensible to get two doses out for the price of one.

Where do you get pill splitters?

Local pharmacy! They usually cost as low as $5 and as high as $10. Considering the growing cost of prescription drugs this hardly an investment.

Stronger pills don’t cost more, why?
There are multiple factors that impact the cost of stronger pills. The cost of producing a 20 mg Lipitor pill and a 40mg Lipitor pill is no different. The active ingredients that may determine a dose cost very little, however, the remaining parts of the item may contribute significantly to the overall price of the pill.

Customers are shielded from rising prescription drugs costs when they have been prescribed a higher dosage. Also, increasing the costs of prescription drugs by two times more for more sick patients would be ridiculously unfair, wouldn’t it?

Easy tips to split pills

1. Speak to your doctor/pharmacy. It is recommended to use them as your initial source of information when it comes to deciding which pills should be split and which should not. Your doctors are the best sources to tell you whether pill splitting is the right thing for you.

2. Refrain from cutting pills months in advance. Some prescription drugs have a tendency to lose their power when exposed to humidity and air.

3. Always use a pill-splitter. Many people attempt to split their pills using a kitchen knife or a hard edgy object. Don’t be cheap here; you are already saving a ton on drugs. Doing this will only make the pill more powdery and hence lose its effect.

4. Pills have a partition line at the center; this is to help you cut your pills evenly. Not every pill is meant to be cut; you can use this as a starting point to cut pills evenly. Before trying any of this, consult with your doctor.

Don’t split these pills

Certain prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs need exact dosages. This means that if you try to cut the pill in half you may be risking your life. Yes! You heard us right. So how do you spot a pill that cannot be split in half?

Some pills have a coating to protect your intestines and stomach lining. Cutting such pills may result in discomfort. Pills designed to release after the desired time or drugs that are long-acting may lose their effect. This may result in overdosing or underdosing which in turn could put a patient’s life at risk.

If you take a drug more than one time in a day then it is not recommended to cut the pill. However perfect you cut the pill the two halves will never be accurate. Remember our bodies are designed to digest pills that are consumed only once per day at a slow rate. This will cause the pills in your digestive system to alter with pill cutting.

Capsules are made up of powder or gel and must be ingested as a whole. Do not cut prepackaged pills in exact doses.

Is pill splitting good for you?

Pill cutting is not the best remedy for every person. You must reach out to your doctor always and get them onboard if pill splitting is meant for you or not. There are people who may not find pill splitting as an effective option because they have impaired eyesight, tremors, general weakness, types of arthritis, and other cognitive issues.

Without a doubt, pill splitting can help you save a lot on prescription drugs but it may not be applicable to all.

Originally published at https://www.justgetblogging.com/ on August 19, 2020.

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Richard Smith
Richard Smith

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