If you need to find out what prescription assistance or lower price is available for a specific drug, here are the tools to use.
When the cost of a prescription becomes a problem, the first question most people have is: what is available for my specific drug? The answer varies by drug, by income, by insurance status, and by location — and it changes as programs open, close, or shift their eligibility rules. The tools on this page help patients find that answer without having to call every pharmaceutical company or check dozens of websites one at a time.
This page covers free online search tools — websites and apps — that let patients look up whether a specific drug has a patient assistance program, compare prices across pharmacies, or identify which resources apply to their situation. For the programs and discount cards themselves, see the guides to free prescription drug discount cards and to drug company patient assistance programs. Some people prefer coupons (online or physical), and for details on that specifically, see the prescription drug coupons page.
- NOT MEDICAL ADVICE: Note, the programs and apps / websites listed below may help people save money on medications. They do not help people get treatment or health care advice - always talk to a medical provider / your doctor.
Tools for finding patient assistance programs by drug name
Patient assistance programs (PAPs) are run by pharmaceutical companies and provide free or heavily discounted brand-name drugs to patients who meet income requirements. The challenge is that each company runs its own program, with its own application, eligibility rules, and renewal process. Several databases aggregate these programs so a patient can look up their specific drug and see what is available.
NeedyMeds is one of the oldest and most comprehensive of these databases. It covers more than 10,000 patient assistance programs and disease-specific funds, and also maintains a directory of free and sliding-scale health clinics. The database is searchable by drug name, condition, or state. NeedyMeds also offers a free discount drug card that any patient can print and use at the pharmacy counter — that card and its uses are covered in more detail on the NHPB guide to NeedyMeds assistance.
RxAssist (website: https://www.rxassist.org/) is a directory of pharmaceutical company PAPs operated by clinicians and updated regularly. It is aimed at both patients and healthcare providers who are helping patients apply. When a patient looks up a drug on RxAssist, the results show which company programs exist and link directly to application materials. Unlike a discount card, which works immediately at the pharmacy, PAP applications involve income documentation and typically take weeks to process — RxAssist helps patients and providers understand what each program requires before they start. Get additional information on the RXAssist guide at NHPB.
America's Medicines (website: https://americasmedicines.com/), run by PhRMA — the pharmaceutical industry's trade organization — serves a similar function. It is the successor to the former Medicine Assistance Tool (MAT) and, before that, the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (pparx.org). Both prior URLs now redirect to americasmedicines.com.
A patient enters a drug name and their situation, and the tool identifies which industry-sponsored assistance programs may apply. The service is free and never requests payment information — if a site claiming to be this tool asks for money, it is a scam.
Tools for comparing pharmacy prices
Prices for the same prescription can vary by a large amount from one pharmacy to another, even within the same ZIP code. Price comparison tools make that variation visible so a patient can choose where to fill a prescription.
GoodRx is the most widely used price comparison tool for prescriptions. A patient enters the drug name, dose, and ZIP code and GoodRx shows prices at nearby pharmacies along with a free coupon code that locks in the lower price at the counter. No insurance is involved and no account is required for basic use. The GoodRx app, available for iPhone and Android, does the same thing on a phone. See our guide for a full explanation of how GoodRx works, including its free coupon and its paid Gold membership.
PharmacyChecker (website: https://www.pharmacychecker.com/) focuses on verifying online and mail-order pharmacy prices. It compares prices both at U.S. retail pharmacies and at verified international online pharmacies, and it independently verifies that the pharmacies it lists are licensed and legitimate. For patients whose drugs are available through mail-order and who have time to wait for delivery, PharmacyChecker can surface prices that are lower than what discount cards offer at retail. The site also publishes guidance on how to identify safe online pharmacies versus fraudulent ones, which is worth reading before ordering any medication online.
ScriptSave WellRx (website: https://www.wellrx.com/) is another price comparison and discount card service accepted at more than 65,000 pharmacies nationwide. It works similarly to GoodRx — enter the drug, find the lowest nearby price, show the code at the pharmacy. Both are worth checking for a given prescription, as prices vary by tool and by pharmacy.
Drugs.com includes a price comparison tool in addition to its drug information database. A patient can look up a medication, compare prices at nearby pharmacies, and access discount coupons from the same page. It is a reasonable starting point for patients who also want drug interaction information or dosing details alongside the pricing data. See the price guide at https://www.drugs.com/price-guide/.
Cost Plus Drug Company (website: https://www.costplusdrugs.com/ operates differently from the tools above — it is an online pharmacy with fixed transparent pricing, not a coupon or comparison service. For patients whose drugs are available through Cost Plus, the price is the company's acquisition cost plus 15%, a $5 pharmacy fee, and a $5.25 shipping charge, with no insurance required. Checking Cost Plus for a specific drug before filling it at a retail pharmacy takes one search and can result in significantly lower prices on common generics. Get detail on the Cost Plus model, which we have information on the Cost Plus Drug Company savings page.
A note on apps
Most of the tools above have mobile apps. GoodRx, NeedyMeds, and ScriptSave WellRx all offer Android and iOS apps that can look up prices or program eligibility from a phone, generate coupon codes, and locate nearby pharmacies. For patients who fill prescriptions regularly, keeping one of these apps on a phone means always having a price check available before walking up to the counter.
What these tools cannot do
These tools find programs and prices — they do not apply for programs on a patient's behalf, guarantee enrollment, or replace the conversation a patient should have with their doctor or pharmacist. Patient assistance programs require applications with income documentation, and approval is not automatic. Pharmacists are often knowledgeable about discount programs specific to their chain or area, and asking directly at the counter is a reasonable step in addition to using online tools.
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