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The savings trick your pharmacist may never mention

• Save big with discount apps:Prescription discount apps like GoodRx, Cost Plus Drugs, and SingleCare can often beat your insurance price, saving consumers hundreds of dollars.

• Shop around before every refill:Drug prices can vary dramatically between pharmacies, so experts recommend comparing prices before every refill.

• Use a three-layer savings strategy:For maximum savings, choose a generic when available, compare discount apps and pharmacies, and check patient assistance programs.

If youve filled a prescription drug recently, youve probably been shocked by the price and wondered if there was a cheaper option, and what hoops you had to jump through to find it.

What many consumers dont realize is that the exact same medication can cost way less just by using a discount app like GoodRx or ordering through a service like Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs.

In some cases, the savings can be hundreds of dollars. That leaves many consumers wondering how these companies can sell the same prescription drug for so much less.

According to consumer advocate Clark Howard, the answer lies in the complicated world of prescription drug pricing, and the fact that consumers often don't realize they can shop around.

Why your insurance isn't always the cheapest option

Discount programs like GoodRx, Cost Plus Drugs, SingleCare, and others often negotiate pricing differently than traditional pharmacy and insurance companies.

A big reason involves companies known as pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. PBMs act as middlemen between drug manufacturers, insurance companies, employers, and pharmacies. They negotiate pricing and rebates behind the scenes.

Critics argue that these arrangements often make drug pricing unnecessarily complicated and sometimes more expensive for consumers. Clark Howard has been particularly outspoken about the lack of transparency in the system. He argues that many consumers assume their insurance automatically provides the lowest price, when that's not always true.

In fact, consumers can often pay less by skipping insurance altogether and paying cash through a discount program. This is because services like GoodRx and SingleCare often give consumers access to pricing negotiated through pharmacy benefit managers and other prescription discount networks.

Why CVS and Walgreens can be more expensive

One of the biggest misconceptions consumers have is assuming every pharmacy charges roughly the same amount for a prescription. That's often far from reality.

According to Howard, large pharmacy chains can charge dramatically different prices for the exact same generic medication compared to discount services.

Part of the reason is that some generic drug prices are still based on formulas tied to the original brand-name drug, even though the actual cost of producing the generic version may be significantly lower today.

The result is a pricing system that can leave consumers paying far more than necessary. That's why experts recommend comparing prices before filling any prescription.

Pro tip: Start treating prescriptions more like airline tickets. Like airfare, the price can vary wildly depending on where you buy. So, before you fill a prescription, spend two minutes checking prices on multiple discount apps and pharmacies. The exact same medication can cost $10 at one pharmacy and $50 at another.

How to save money on your medications

The good news is that consumers have more options than ever when it comes to saving money.

Before filling a prescription, take a few minutes to compare prices at multiple sources.

These include:

• GoodRx
• Cost Plus Drugs
• SingleCare
• Your local independent pharmacy
• Big-box retailers such as Costco, Amazon, and Walmart
• Traditional pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens

You may be surprised by how much prices vary. In some cases, a medication that costs $50 at one pharmacy may cost just $10 at another.

Don't automatically use your insurance

This may sound counterintuitive, but sometimes insurance isn't your cheapest option.

Many consumers never ask what the cash price would be because they assume their copay is the lowest available price. That assumption can be expensive.

Before paying, get in the habit of asking this magic question at the pharmacy counter: "What's cheaper: my insurance, your cash price, or a discount card?"

Many consumers never ask and automatically use their insurance, even when a discount app would save them more money.

Pro tip: Be sure to ask your doctor about generics. If your doctor prescribes you a brand-name medication, ask whether a generic alternative exists. Generics contain the same active ingredients and are held to the same safety standards as their brand-name counterparts, but often cost dramatically less.

Consider patient assistance programs

If you're taking a brand-name medication, one of the best-kept secrets in healthcare is patient assistance programs.

These programs are designed to help people who struggle to afford their prescriptions. Depending on your income, insurance status, and the medication you're taking, you may qualify for free medication or significant discounts.

Here are a few programs to check out:

• Americas Medicines Tool A searchable database covering more than 900 public and private assistance programs.
• RxAssist One of the largest directories of manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs.
• RxHope Lets you search for assistance programs by medication name.
• Partnership for Prescription Assistance Matches patients with programs they may qualify for based on their medications and financial situation.
• PAN Foundation FundFinder Helps patients locate charitable assistance programs for prescription drug costs.

Pro tip: Don't overlook the Costco Pharmacy as many consumers are surprised to discover they offer some of the lowest prescription prices available. And you dont need to be a Costco member to use it. Just tell the card checker at the door that youre there to use the pharmacy and theyll let you right in.

Bottom line: Use a three-layer savings system

Consider using a fairly simple three-layer savings strategy. Start with a generic version if available. Then compare discount apps like GoodRx and Cost Plus Drugs. Finally, check for financial help from patient assistance programs as they can be a real life-saver for many.

Stacking all three of these strategies can often cut prescription costs by hundreds of dollars per year.

New survey reveals how many adults use cannabis to help them sleep

• One-quarter of U.S. adults say they use marijuana occasionally or regularly to help them fall asleep or stay asleep.

• The survey was commissioned by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and included more than 2,000 adults nationwide.

• Younger adults were more likely than older adults to report using marijuana as a sleep aid, with use highest among those ages 25 to 34.

For many Americans, getting a good night's sleep remains a challenge. While some people turn to prescription medications, melatonin, or herbal remedies, marijuana has become another increasingly common option for those looking for help falling asleep or staying asleep.

A new survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) sheds light on just how widespread this practice has become and what impact it has on consumers' sleep.

While many states now allow the recreational and medical use of marijuana, its impact on sleep is multi-faceted, AASM past president Dr. Kannan Ramar said in a news release.

Use of marijuana and other cannabis products is also associated with several clinical concerns, including increased risks of daytime sleepiness, impaired driving performance, physical dependence, and withdrawal symptoms such as sleep disruption.

How the survey was conducted

The findings come from the AASM Sleep Prioritization Survey, which was conducted online among 2,007 adults in the United States. The survey was commissioned by the AASM and carried out by independent market research firm Atomik Research.

Researchers asked participants several questions about their sleep habits, but the primary outcome they were interested in was how using marijuana as a sleep aid impacts their rest.

What the results show and what they mean

Heres a look at what the survey found:

• 11% of respondents said marijuana had no impact on their sleep.

• 8% said marijuana made their sleep slightly or significantly worse.

• 15% said marijuana made them sleep slightly better.

• 18% said marijuana made them sleep significantly better.

• Interestingly, the remaining 47% said they dont use marijuana to help them sleep.

The survey also found differences across age groups. Adults aged 25- 44 were the most likely age groups (45%) to report using marijuana helps them sleep slightly or significantly better. Those 65+ were the most likely to not use marijuana for sleep (76%), and just 12% said marijuana helps them sleep slightly or significantly better.

Gender differences emerged as well. Men (39%) are more likely than women (28%) to report using marijuana helps them sleep slightly or significantly better.

The AASM recommends that consumers struggling with sleep seek out the guidance of their healthcare providers.

Sleep is essential to health, so it is important to talk to a healthcare professional about any ongoing sleep concerns, said Dr. Ramar. Sleep specialists can provide evidence-based treatments for anyone who has insomnia or another sleep disorder.

Additionally, the AASM offer some tried and true methods for improving sleep quality:

• Follow a consistent routine. This includes going to sleep and waking up at about the same time every day even on weekends.

• Create a relaxing environment. Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and comfortably cool.

• Avoid sleep disruptors. Caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine in the evening can disrupt your sleep.

• Avoid screens before bedtime. Your final half hour to full hour before bed should be screen-time free.

• Incorporate relaxation techniques. Try different ways to be calmer before bed things like deep breathing, meditation, or journaling can be helpful.

Researchers found links between several additives and increased rates of high blood pressure

• A large French study found links between several common food preservatives and higher risks of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

• Researchers analyzed detailed dietary records from more than 112,000 adults and tracked their health for nearly eight years.

• The findings show associations, not proof of cause and effect, but add to growing research on how food additives may affect long-term health.

A new study published in the European Heart Journal takes a closer look at whether commonly used food preservatives could be linked to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

The findings suggest that certain preservatives may be associated with higher risks, though the researchers emphasize that more work is needed to fully understand the relationship.

Food preservatives are used in hundreds of thousands of industrially processed foods, researcher Anas Hasenbhler, Ph.D. student, said in a news release.

Experimental studies suggest that some preservative food additives may be harmful to cardiovascular health, but we have not had enough evidence on the impact of these ingredients in humans. As far as we know, this is the first study of its kind to investigate the links between a wide range of preservatives and cardiovascular health.

The study

To investigate the issue, researchers analyzed data from the NutriNet-Sant study, an ongoing nutrition project in France.

The study included 112,395 adults who regularly provided detailed records of everything they ate and drank. Participants completed repeated 24-hour dietary assessments, often including specific commercial brands, allowing researchers to identify exposure to individual food additives.

The team combined these dietary records with multiple food composition databases and laboratory analyses to estimate preservative intake. Participants were then followed for a median of nearly eight years to determine whether they developed high blood pressure or cardiovascular conditions such as heart attack, stroke, or angina.

Researchers adjusted their analyses to account for a wide range of factors that could influence heart health. Even so, because the study was observational, it cannot prove that preservatives directly caused the health outcomes that were observed.

The results

The researchers found that people with the highest intake of non-antioxidant preservatives had a 29% higher risk of developing hypertension and a 16% higher risk of cardiovascular disease compared with those consuming the lowest amounts.

Higher consumption of antioxidant preservatives was also associated with a 22% greater risk of hypertension.

Among the preservatives examined, eight were linked to elevated blood pressure risk, including potassium sorbate, potassium metabisulphite, sodium nitrite, citric acid, sodium erythorbate, sodium ascorbate, ascorbic acid, and rosemary extracts. Ascorbic acid was also associated with cardiovascular disease.

While these findings do not establish cause and effect, they provide new evidence that specific food additives may warrant closer examination.

This study has some limitations inherent to its observational design, researcher Dr. Mathilde Touvier said in the release. However, the findings are based on highly detailed data, and we have taken account of other factors that can increase or lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Experimental research in the literature consistently suggested that preservatives may cause oxidative stress in the body or affect the way the pancreas works.

These results suggest we need a re-evaluation of the risks and benefits of these food additives by the authorities in charge, such as the EFSA in Europe and the FDA in the USA, for better consumer protection. In the meantime, these findings support existing recommendations to favour non-processed and minimally processed foods, and avoid unnecessary additives. Doctors and other healthcare professionals play a key role in explaining these recommendations to the public.

New research tracks changing trends in weight-loss procedures

• Researchers found that bariatric surgery volumes in the U.S. fell below 200,000 procedures in 2024, marking the first time that has happened since 2020.

• The study analyzed national data from accredited bariatric surgery centers between 2020 and 2024.

• While overall surgeries declined, the mix of procedures changed, with gastric bypass accounting for a larger share of operations.
  

For years, bariatric surgery has been one of the most common treatments for severe obesity in the United States.

However, new research presented at the 2026 annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) suggests that fewer people are choosing these procedures than in recent years.

The study found that the number of metabolic and bariatric surgeries performed nationwide dropped significantly in 2024, ending a period of growth that had continued since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings provide a snapshot of how treatment patterns for obesity are changing and offer a closer look at the types of surgeries patients are receiving today.

After years of steady growth, the number of metabolic and bariatric procedures in the U.S. is experiencing a decline amid persistently high obesity rates and a surge in the use of GLP-1 medications, lead study author Tyler Cohn, M.D. said in a news release.

While we did not study causation, the concern is that many patients are selecting non-surgical therapies for obesity without fully understanding all of their available options. Millions more are living with obesity and are not receiving treatment at all.

How the researchers studied the trend

To examine national trends, researchers from Loyola University in Chicago reviewed data collected through the American College of Surgeons Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (ACS-MBSAQIP). This database includes reported outcomes from accredited bariatric surgery centers across the United States.

The team analyzed procedure volumes and surgery types performed between 2020 and 2024, allowing them to compare year-to-year changes and identify broader patterns over time. The analysis included several forms of bariatric surgery, such as sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, gastric banding, and other less common procedures.

What the results mean for consumers

The researchers found that 177,297 bariatric procedures were performed in 2024, down more than 20% from 2023 and the lowest annual total since 2020. Surgery volumes had previously peaked at more than 230,000 procedures in 2022 before beginning to decline.

The study also found shifts in the types of operations being performed. Sleeve gastrectomy remained the most common procedure, but its share of total surgeries fell from about 64% in 2020 to 58% in 2024.

Meanwhile, gastric bypass grew as a percentage of all bariatric surgeries, reaching its highest share during the five-year period studied. Researchers also noted an increase in revision or conversion procedures involving prior surgeries.

For consumers, the study highlights changing treatment patterns rather than providing answers about why those changes occurred. Instead, the findings offer an updated picture of how obesity treatment is evolving and underscore that multiple treatment options continue to be available for patients and their healthcare providers to consider.

GLP-1s are starting a conversation in doctors offices that really wasnt happening as much as it should have been, Richard M. Peterson, M.D., MPH, FASMBS, said in the release.

The high demand for these drugs and greater attention on the dangers of obesity has created an unprecedented opportunity to educate and engage patients on all proven treatments, not just medications, which is essential to effectively treating this chronic disease.