Economy Talk

Pharmacist here: how to save money on medicine without risk

I work in a pharmacy in Jakarta and people ask me this every day. Some tips:

1) Ask for the generic version. Same active ingredient, same dose, usually much cheaper. 2) Check if a bigger pack is cheaper per tablet for long-term medicine. 3) Don't buy many "extra" supplements unless your doctor says so. 4) Never cut tablets that are coated or "extended release" to save money, ask the pharmacist first.

Generic is not "fake". It must meet the same standards. Of course, always follow your own doctor and local rules.