"What should I do about the new Medicare Part D drug benefit?" many people have asked us.

Whether concerned about themselves or an older relative, they were particularly worried about the so-called "doughnut hole," the uncovered piece of the annual drug cost. In these plans the first $2,250 of the total cost is partially covered, but the next $2,850 is the individual's responsibility until he or she reaches a level of expense when coverage resumes.

There are two important steps you can take before even calculating which, if any, drug plan to enroll in.

The first involves making sure that you or your relative still needs all the prescription drugs being taken. All too often a medication is prescribed and then forgotten, even though prescribing guidelines often recommend it be stopped after a certain period. Some common examples: drugs to prevent acid reflux, such as lansoprazole (Prevacid) and omeprazole (Prilosec, Prilosec OTC); bone-builders, such as alendronate (Fosamax); and sleep medications, such as zolpidem (Ambien). Too often people continue to take and pay for these and other drugs without the needed periodic re-evaluation.

The second step that can help reduce your drug costs is make sure you are prescribed the most effective, safest, and lowest-cost drug to serve the therapeutic purpose you need.
PICK BEST BUY DRUGS

Until recently this information was difficult, if not impossible, to obtain. But Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs, a project of Consumers Union, the publisher of ConsumerReportsHealth.org, has now published this information for commonly used medications. These include antidepressants, antihistamines, attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder drugs, various classes of blood-pressure drugs, the cholesterol drugs known as statins, heartburn drugs, menopause drugs, and pain relievers.

To access these free evidence-based drug reports, click on the links in the box on this page.

"One of the biggest problems with Medicare Part D can be fixed if consumers and doctors use evidence-based judgments to choose which drugs to take," explains Joel Gurin, executive vice president of Consumers Union. If you switch to a low-cost drug in just one of these categories, you could save enough to cover your premium. If you're on multiple drugs and switch in many categories, the savings could amount to $2,500 to $5,300 a year.