Who it’s for and what people take away
Adults who pay for prescriptions, or help someone who does, and want to know which questions to ask and what help exists where they live.
By the end, people can:
- explain what a generic medicine is and why it usually costs less.
- ask a prescriber or pharmacist what a prescription will cost and whether there is a lower-cost option.
- find the public help with medicine costs where they live, using the country handout.
- recognize the warning signs of an unsafe online pharmacy.
Before the session
- Read this whole kit and the country handout for where you are teaching, and open each official link once so you know what the pages look like.
- Print one handout (with the right country block) and one worksheet per person, plus a few spares.
- Check the projector or screen and test the slides before people arrive.
- Decide how you will answer questions about a specific medicine: the answer is always to ask the prescriber or pharmacist. Never comment on whether someone should take, change or stop a medicine.
- If a pharmacist from the host organization or a local public health service would like to sit in for questions, ask the host to invite them. They must not promote any pharmacy or product.
- Bring pens and a few sticky notes for the activity.
You will need
- Projector or large screen with the slides
- Printed handouts with the country block for where you are teaching
- Printed worksheets
- Pens and sticky notes
Run sheet
60 minutes. Slide numbers refer to the deck.
Session timings| Starts | Length | What happens |
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| 0:00 | 5 min | Welcome and ground rulesSlides 1–2Introduce yourself and Moraph for Good. Explain that the session covers costs and questions to ask, never which medicine to take, and that nobody will be asked what they take.Say: “Any decision about a medicine belongs to you and your prescriber or pharmacist. Today is about the money side and the questions that help.” |
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| 0:05 | 10 min | Generic medicinesSlides 3–5Explain what a generic is, why it usually costs less, and why it may look different. Use the made-up example on slide 5.Say: “A generic has the same active ingredient as the brand-name medicine. It may be a different color or shape, and it usually costs less.” |
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| 0:15 | 10 min | Asking what it will costSlides 6–7Go through the questions to ask the prescriber and the pharmacist, and when to ask them.Say: “It is normal to ask what something will cost. Prescribers and pharmacists are asked this every day.” |
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| 0:25 | 15 min | Activity: practise the cost conversationSlides 8–9Run the activity in pairs. Walk around and help with wording only.Say: “One of you plays the person collecting a prescription, the other plays the pharmacist. Swap after five minutes.” |
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| 0:40 | 8 min | Help with costs where you liveSlides 10–11Explain that help exists in many places, then walk through the country block on the handout.Say: “If cost is a problem, say so. Skipping doses without telling anyone can be dangerous, and there may be help you don’t know about.” |
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| 0:48 | 7 min | Buying medicines safelySlides 12–13Cover the warning signs of an unsafe online seller and how to check a pharmacy is licensed.Say: “If a website will sell you a prescription medicine without a prescription, that is a warning sign, not a bargain.” |
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| 0:55 | 5 min | Questions and closeSlides 14Take questions using the common questions in this kit. Point to the country block and the official sources for anything specific.Say: “For anything about your own medicines, your pharmacist is a good place to start.” |
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Practise the cost conversation
15 minutes, using the worksheet.
- Ask people to pair up and turn to worksheet exercise 1, the question script.
- Explain the made-up situation on slide 8: you are collecting a new prescription and the price is more than you expected. Nobody uses their own medicines or figures.
- For five minutes, one person asks the questions from the script and the other answers as a helpful pharmacist would, in general terms. Then swap for five minutes.
- Ask each person to circle the two questions they would find most useful in real life and add any question of their own.
- Bring the room back together for the debrief.
Questions for the room afterwards
- Which question felt easiest to ask, and which felt awkward?
- When is the best moment to ask about cost: at the appointment, or at the pharmacy?
- If the answer was that there is no cheaper option, what would you ask next?
Take care
General information, never advice about one person’s situation, and nothing to sell.
- Never give advice about a specific medicine, dose or switch, and never suggest someone stop, skip or change a medicine. Always refer to the prescriber or pharmacist.
- Never ask anyone what medicines they take or what they pay.
- Don’t name or recommend any pharmacy, discount card, app, manufacturer program or insurer or plan.
- Don’t quote prices or charges from memory. Use only what the country block says, and point to the official source.
- Don’t suggest buying medicines from other countries or online sellers; explain the safety checks instead.
Questions people ask
Is a generic as good as the brand?
Regulators in many countries require a generic to have the same active ingredient and to work the same way as the brand-name medicine, while ingredients like fillers and coloring can differ. If you have concerns about switching, ask your prescriber or pharmacist.
Why does my medicine look different this month?
Pharmacies may supply a different generic version, which can be a different color or shape. Always check with the pharmacist when a medicine looks different; they can confirm it is the right one.
Can I ask for a larger supply to save money?
Sometimes. Whether it is allowed and whether it saves money depends on the medicine, the prescription and the rules where you live. Ask your prescriber and pharmacist.
I can’t afford my prescription. What should I do?
Tell your prescriber or pharmacist. There may be a lower-cost option or public help you qualify for; the country block lists official help where you live. Don’t stop or skip a medicine without talking to them.
Are online pharmacies safe?
Some are licensed and legitimate; others sell fake or unsafe products. A legitimate pharmacy asks for a valid prescription and is licensed where it operates. The country block says how to check.
Where you are teaching
The rules differ by country. Teach the shared material from the slides, then use the block for the country you are in, and hand out that country’s sheet.
United States
- Generic medicines. The FDA requires a generic medicine to have the same active ingredient, strength, dosage form and route of administration as the brand-name medicine, to be bioequivalent, and to be made to the same standards. Generics tend to cost less because their makers don’t repeat the original clinical studies, and competition lowers prices.
- Extra Help with Medicare drug costs. Extra Help is a Medicare program that helps people with limited income and resources pay Medicare drug coverage (Part D) premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and other costs. People with full Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program or Supplemental Security Income get it automatically; others can apply.
- Free help applying. Your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) can give free help applying for Extra Help.
- Buying online safely. The FDA’s BeSafeRx campaign explains how to buy prescription medicines online safely and how to find a state-licensed online pharmacy. You can report websites you think are illegally selling medicine to the FDA.
United Kingdom
- Prescription charges. In England, most working-age adults pay a charge for each item on a prescription, not each prescription. Some items are always free, including contraception. NHS prescriptions in Scotland and Wales are free.
- Who gets free prescriptions in England. Groups include people under 16, aged 16 to 18 in full-time education, or 60 or over; some people on benefits including Universal Credit, depending on income; people with a valid maternity or medical exemption certificate; and some people on a low income through the NHS Low Income Scheme. The NHS Business Services Authority has an online checker.
- Prescription prepayment certificate. If you pay for a lot of prescriptions, a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) covers all your NHS prescriptions for a set period, whatever the number of items. There are 3-month, 12-month and hormone replacement therapy options; check the current prices on the NHS website.
- Refunds. If you pay and then find you were entitled to free prescriptions, ask the pharmacist for an FP57 refund receipt when you pay. You can only get a refund with one, and you must claim within three months.
Canada
- Generic drugs. Health Canada says generic drugs contain the same medicinal ingredients, in the same amounts, as the brand-name drug, and must meet the same quality standards. Non-medicinal ingredients such as fillers and coloring may differ.
- Public drug coverage. Public prescription drug coverage is run by each province and territory. Contact your provincial or territorial health ministry to find out what is covered where you live.
- National pharmacare. In provinces and territories that have a national pharmacare agreement with the federal government, a range of contraception and diabetes products is generally available free at the pharmacy, many with a prescription. Health Canada lists which provinces and territories take part.
- Buying online safely. Legitimate pharmacies, including online ones, are licensed by the pharmacy regulatory authority in their province or territory. Health Canada warns against sellers that offer prescription drugs without a prescription or based on an online questionnaire.
Australia
- The PBS. Under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), the Australian Government subsidises the cost of medicine for most medical conditions. Australian residents with a current Medicare card are eligible.
- Brands and generics. Different brands of the same medicine on the PBS are clinically equivalent, meet the same quality controls and are usually cheaper than the original brand. The PBS subsidises up to the price of the lowest-priced brand, so you may pay extra, called a brand premium, for a more expensive brand.
- Brand substitution. Pharmacists are allowed, in certain conditions, to substitute a different brand of the same medicine on a PBS prescription without going back to the prescriber. Ask your pharmacist whether a lower-priced brand is available.
- PBS Safety Net. The PBS Safety Net helps limit out-of-pocket costs for people who need a lot of medicines. Brand premiums don’t count towards the Safety Net threshold, and under the early supply rule some repeats collected too soon don’t count either.