04/25/2026
At first, when a patient presented this to me, I thought it was going to be your typical message from their insruance company trying to incentivize patients to switch their company owned mail order. What it was turned out to be even more concerning! The insurance company was recommending a "therapeutic alternative" to the patient's current medication for an estimated savings of $213.24.
Everyone likes to save money, however, when we are talking about your healthcare, patients deserve to make an educated decision. Remember, the insurance companies have thier own bottom line in mind, your doctor and pharmacist have your best interest in mind. If you have questions or concerns about your medication costs, reach out to your pharmacist first. They can tell you imprortant information such as:
1. While these medications are both generalized as anti-depressants, they belong to different drug classes.
2. 2/3 of patients will not respond to the first anti-depressant they try and it will take trials of multiple antidepressants to find the right fit.
3. Switching off an anti-depressant you are stable and doing well on to save a couple hundred dollars a year, could end up costing you a lot more in doctors visits, missed work, and decreased mood.
