You At Your Best

How to pay less for prescriptions By KimBerly marquez nwa Democrat-Gazette Americans spend more on drugs than people in any other country as pharmaceutical companies are increasing the price of prescriptions each year and nothing is stopping them. To make the matter worse, health insurers are refraining from covering certain prescriptions and forcing patients to pay out of pocket, despite the high prices and personal struggles with money. A nationally representative Consumer Reports survey of almost 1,200 adults who currently take a prescription drug found that high costs are forcing people to cut back on groceries, delay retirement, and even take on a second job. And some say they're making potentially dangerous choices, such as rationing or even stopping their medication. Why drugs cost so much Because the distorted marketplace for prescription drugs allows for drug prices to increase without warning or justification, patients are often forced to abandon treatment altogether. In 2016 drug costs went up 6.3 percent compared with the year before, about three times the rate for other goods and services, according to the Department of Labor. Go generic Name brand medications are not necessarily a better option, as generic medications have the same active ingredients and often at a lower cost. The process is easy: If your medication is available as a generic, the pharmacist will automatically give you that version. In many cases, you will have to ask if there are any discounts for the medication. dEcEmBER 29, 2018 | JAnUARY - nEw YEAR'S RESOlUTiOnS nwAdg.cOm/YOUATYOURBEST | YOU AT YOUR BEST | 15 sPecial to nwa Democrat-Gazette Parkhill Clinic for Women has been serving the communities of Northwest Arkansas for more than 50 years. Parkhill Clinic for Women currently has nine board- certified obstetricians and gynecologists and remains an independent practice. Urogynecology is a subspeciality of obstetrics and gynecology that involves treatment of pelvic prolapse and urinary incontinence. Surgery is often recommended for pelvic organ prolapse. Complex surgery for some types of prolapse that at one time required an abdominal approach is now performed laparoscopically with robotic assisted laparoscopic surgical techniques. Reconstructive surgery can also be performed via vaginal, abdominal or laparoscopic routes. Parkhill Clinic continues to offer well women check-ups, immunizations, hormone replacement therapy as well as the highest level of obstetrics care in Northwest Arkansas. The clinic provides the latest in gynecologic care including Mona Lisa Touch Laser therapy, the newest and latest surgical modalities including total laparoscopic hysterectomies, endometrial ablation, robotics surgery and in office hysteroscopic sterilization procedures. Parkhill Clinic also provides SculpSure laser therapy, a non-invasive body contouring treatment. It is Parkhill Clinic for Women's mission to continue to provide the very best women's healthcare that you can find anywhere in the country. For more information, contact Parkhill Clinic for Women at (479) 521-4433. Resolve to of your health in 2019 take charge

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