Your Own HR Department: Prescriptions for Small Business Owners
· 3 min read
Run a small business or work for yourself? Give prescriptions a plan: list monthly fills, sketch a SAMPLE budget, and check prices before you pay.
When you run a small business or work for yourself, you wear every hat. You're the CEO, the bookkeeper, the IT department, and the person who finally fixes the squeaky door. You're also, whether you applied for the job or not, your own HR department.
That makes your prescriptions part of the plan too. This post is general information, not medical, financial, tax, or insurance advice. It's about organizing and budgeting for prescriptions, not about any medication itself.
Step 1: List your monthly fills
Start with what you actually fill. For each prescription, write down:
- Medication name and strength
- How often you fill it
- Your pharmacy
- What you paid last time
Our guide to keeping a one-page medication list has a simple format, and reading a pharmacy receipt helps you find the price you paid.
Step 2: Sketch a budget
Business income can move around month to month. Giving prescriptions their own line in your personal budget makes them easier to plan for. Here's a SAMPLE:
| SAMPLE (example only) | Fills per month (example) | Last price paid (example) | Monthly budget line (example) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medication A (example) | 1 | $12 | $12 |
| Medication B (example) | 1 | $30 | $30 |
| Pharmacy trips (example) | 2 | n/a | Block time on the calendar |
| SAMPLE total | $42 |
Every number in this SAMPLE table is made up. Use your own receipts to fill in your real numbers. Our post on budgeting for household medications has more ideas.
Step 3: Check prices before you pay
Prices can change, so it's normal to ask, "What's the total for this fill?" before anything is rung up. Our checklist of questions to ask before you pay at the pharmacy has a few more, and a quick pharmacy receipt self-audit helps you spot changes over time.
Step 4: Put refills on the calendar
Busy weeks have a way of eating pharmacy trips. Add refill dates to the same calendar you use for client calls. Our post on setting your own refill reminders has easy setups.
Talk to your prescriber or pharmacist
For anything about your medication itself, including how to take it or whether a different option might fit, talk to your prescriber or pharmacist. For questions about taxes or business expenses, talk to a qualified tax professional.
Where The Drug Club fits
The Drug Club is a prescription membership, not insurance and not a discount card. Instead of a price that may change at every fill, you pay one monthly membership price and get member pricing on eligible medications at participating pharmacies. That one monthly price can make the budget line above easier to plan.
- $0 with membership on eligible medications. Not every medication is eligible, so search yours on the Medications page.
- 800+ medications on the formulary.
- 70,000+ pharmacies participate. Confirm your pharmacy participates before your next fill.
- Single and Family membership prices are on the pricing page, and plan details are on the membership page.
FAQ
Why plan prescriptions separately when I work for myself?
When income changes month to month, a separate budget line makes prescription costs easier to see and plan for.
Is The Drug Club insurance?
No. The Drug Club is a prescription membership, not insurance and not a discount card.
Who should I ask about my medication?
Your prescriber or pharmacist. They know your situation and can answer questions about your medication.
The short version
List your monthly fills, sketch a SAMPLE budget, check prices before you pay, and put refills on the calendar. For your medication, talk to your prescriber or pharmacist. The squeaky door is still your problem, though.
Questions: support@thedrugclub.com or (424) 375-7114.
The Drug Club is a prescription membership, not insurance and not a discount card. Eligible medications and participating pharmacies apply. This article is general information, not medical, financial, or insurance advice.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own medications and health. The Drug Club is a prescription membership. It is not insurance and not a discount card. Questions? Email support@thedrugclub.com or call (424) 375-7114.