Get free diabetes and antibiotic prescriptions and save with $4-a-month prescriptions on hundreds of drugs offered by many South Florida pharmacies. Plus, a handy web tool from the state helps you comparison shop for the best price before you fill prescriptions at your favorite local drug store.

Here are a few ways to save on the high cost of drugs:

Free prescriptions
Publix offers free diabetes medicine. Diabetics can get generic immediate-release metformin (500, 850, 1000 mg) for free, up to a 30-day supply of 90 tablets. There's no limit to the number of refills of free diabetes medication you can receive. Click here to learn more. Publix also offers free antibiotics such as amoxicillin, ampicillin and erythromycin, along with five others drugs. Click here to see the list.

The Prescription Assistant Program at PPARX.org or 888-477-2669, helps qualifying patients without insurance get the medicines they need for free or nearly free. The service offers access to more than 475 public and private programs, including nearly 200 offered by pharmaceutical companies, which give away more than $200 million in prescription medication to those in need each year.

Compare prices
Florida has a handy website where you can compare prices on medicines and save. Type in the name of the medication and the county where you live and the site offers a list of pharmacies and prices for that drug. MyFloridaRX.com

Reduced-priced prescriptions
Walmart has a pharmacy program where you can get a 30-day supply of drugs for $4 or a 90-day supply for $10. There are hundreds of prescription medications on the list. Click here to see the list. There also is a $4 Over-the-Counter $4 list, too.

Target also offers 300 generic drugs for $4 for a 30-day supply and $10 for a 90-day supply. Click here for the list.

Albertsons' Rx-tra Savings program, which costs a one-time fee of $10, offers 30-days of generic drugs for $4.99 and 90-days for $10.99 on 500 generic medicines. Click here to learn more about the program.

CVS's Health Savings Pass gets you 90-days of medicine for $9.99. Click here to view the 400 generic prescriptions on its list.

Walgreen's has a Prescription Savings Club, offering 400 meds for $12 for a 90-day supply. Click here to review its list.

Educate yourself
Read Consumer Report's excellent guide on how to get the best price on prescription drugs.

What are your strategies to save on drugs? Share your money-saving tips with us.

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