Hi, I’m Chrissy.
I’m a pharmacist (PharmD) with about 10 years of experience in medication therapy management, clinical pharmacy, managed care, and medication cost and access.
A big part of my job has always been looking at the whole picture. Not just “Is this the right medication?” but “Can this person actually get it? Is insurance covering it? Are they paying more than they need to?”
I also have a business and finance background, which probably explains why I’m so interested in the money side of pharmacy.
Why I started Penny & Pills
I’ve watched the same thing happen over and over for years.
Someone gets to the pharmacy counter and their prescription is suddenly hundreds of dollars, and they assume that’s just what it costs. Someone opens a letter from their insurance company and has no idea what it means. A medication is “not covered,” and nobody explains that there might be a covered alternative, a different pharmacy, a savings program, or an appeal.
What gets me is how often people think they have no options simply because nobody explained the options to them.
The price you’re given isn’t always the price
Prescription pricing is confusing on purpose. What you pay can change based on your insurance, your deductible, your pharmacy, how much you fill at once, and sometimes whether you use insurance at all.
You don’t need to understand the whole system. You just need to know which questions to ask:
- Is there a generic?
- Would a 90-day supply cost less?
- Does another pharmacy have a better price?
- Is there a manufacturer savings program?
- What happens if I pay cash instead?
Those are normal questions, and Penny & Pills is here to help you ask them.
Who this is for
If you’re the one in your family who reads the fine print, compares the options, and ends up asking “Wait, why are we paying this much?”, this is for you. Especially if you’re managing not only your own healthcare but your parents’, your spouse’s, or your kids’ too.
I get it. I’m a mom of two, and I’m that person in my family too. I work in healthcare, and I still look at insurance paperwork and think, “Why is this so hard to figure out?”
What you can count on here
- Real answers, accurate enough that I’d stand behind them as a pharmacist, but written like I’m explaining it to a friend.
- No “one best plan” hype. The right Medicare plan, pharmacy, or savings option depends on you.
- No scare tactics and no clickbait.
- Nothing recommended because someone paid for it.
- Never a suggestion to stop or change a medication on your own. That’s always a conversation with your doctor or pharmacist.
The question I hope you’ll start asking
“Is there a better way to do this?”
Sometimes the answer is no. But you deserve to know your options before assuming the first price, the first denial, or the first confusing letter is the end of the story.
Think of Penny & Pills as having a pharmacist in the family.
— Chrissy
Penny & Pills is for education only and isn’t medical advice. See our Medical Disclaimer.