Jane picked up her medication from the pharmacy. When it was time to take her pill, she split it into two halves with a small device from the drug store. The next day when it was time to take her pill, she took the other half of the pill she had split the day before. She did this every day for two months, which saved her the co-pay she would have paid for the second month.

Jane discussed this with her doctor who said it would be OK to take her medicine this way. She also told her pharmacist so he would not alert Jane about a refill she didn't need. Her pharmacist also helps Jane avoid mistakes with her medication.

Splitting her pills worked for Jane but it may not work for you. Some medicine just cannot be split.

Here are some guidelines that you should know before you speak with your doctor.

Things to look for that probably mean your medicine cannot be split:

• The medicine is in capsule or liquid form. Splitting only works with pills or tablets.
  
  
• The pill crumbles or does not split cleanly. This would mean that you would not get all of your medicine.
  
  
• The medicine is time-released. This means that your medicine is manufactured so that it works slowly over a specific number of hours.
  
  
• The tablet has a coating or film, usually because the pill without it would have an unpleasant taste but or because it makes the medicine easier on your stomach.
  
  
• The tablet or pill is not scored, which means that it doesn't have a slight groove or indent down the middle. There are some exceptions to this.
  
  

If your medicine passes the test, there are still some questions to ask yourself:

• Can I split all my pills at once? Not always - some pills can only be split one at a time. Being exposed to air makes some medicine less effective.
  
  
• Is this just too complicated? You may be taking several medications and the saving is not worth the hassle for you.
  
  
• Do vision problems make this too difficult? Some pills are very small and splitting them may make them just too small to handle.
  
  

Jane is on a tight budget and is happy with the small savings she gets from splitting her pills. She uses an inexpensive device she buys at the drug store, which is much safer than trying to use a knife and cutting board.

Always discuss any changes in the way you take your medicine, such as splitting the pills, with your doctor.