No matter who's elected in November, prescription drug benefits for seniors aren't likely to be available until 2001 at the earliest.

But that doesn't mean seniors are powerless about what they're paying for prescriptions. There are several steps seniors - and everyone else - can take right away to reduce costs:

Review your drug usage with your doctor.

"Put all your drugs in a bag and take them to all your doctors or at least to one key doctor," said Charles Inlander, president of the People's Medical Society, a non-profit consumer health advocacy organization based in Allentown, Pa. "Doctors are kind of like stock analysts - they're always telling people to buy and never telling people to sell. They just keep adding drugs."

When Inlander used this strategy with his 90-year-old mother, doctors took her off two of the nine drugs she was prescribed. Not only did that save her money, but her status improved, he said.

Tell your doctor if you're having trouble affording the drugs prescribed.

"We don't know if they don't tell us," said Dr. Mary Cady, whose internal medicine practice in Savannah includes many Medicare patients.

Be honest about how compliant you are.

"Lots of people are not taking their meds," Cady said. "If they're not taking their medications for high blood pressure and it's out of control, we may prescribe another drug. But if they're not in compliance with the first, they're not going to be in compliance with the second."

Ask if a comparable generic is available.

Doctors don't generally think generic, Inlander said. One study by the generic drug industry indicated that generics are offered or prescribed only 44 percent of the time they're available.

Physicians often learn about drugs from drug company salespeople, who aren't plugging generics. But these substitutes for brand name drugs are almost always as effective and can save up to 80 percent, according to Inlander.

"Doctors don't know the price of drugs," he said.

Ask if a previous generation of a drug might work for you.

The newer a drug the more expensive it's likely to be. Drug companies have a 20-year window from the time they're issued a patent to market a drug without competition from generics. That's when they make their highest profit on the medication. But an older drug can work as well in some cases.

"Most new drugs are a minor improvement over the last generation," Inlander said. "Sometimes they can be 200 percent more expensive. Be very straightforward because doctors don't know the price of drugs."

Sometimes newer drugs have fewer side effects, Cady said. But if you can take the older drugs and don't develop the side effects they may be the right choice for you.

Know why you're taking the drug.

Some medications are for relief of symptoms, Cady said, and it may be OK to discontinue them. For example, some patients may do as well with Tylenol as with a prescription arthritis drug.

Ask if you can get a higher dosage and cut the pills in half.

Some drugs are offered at a flat rate regardless of the strength of the pill. If the pills are scored so they can be divided easily, patients who need the lower dosage may save money by buying the higher dosage and cutting it themselves, Cady said. But she also cautioned pharmacists don't always approve of this practice because they say patients may not be able to divide the pills accurately.

Shop around.

"You can go from store to store in the same chain in the same community and find different prices," Inlander said. Large discount stores often use certain drugs as loss leaders - they lure customers in with the low price of that drug and hope they'll buy other items as they wander to the pharmacy, which is inevitable in the back of the store.

If you do find a lower price, your pharmacy may be willing to meet or beat it. Ask.

Patients with chronic conditions may also save money on mail-order prescriptions that offer 90-day supplies of drugs and cut out the middle man, Inlander said.

Check into help that's already available.

MedBank Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit volunteer organization that helps qualified local people with chronic health conditions tap into pharmaceutical companies' patient assistance programs for free medications. Self-referrals aren't accepted, but physician offices or community agencies may refer needy residents of Chatham or Effingham counties.

Call 356-2898 (calls received 9 a.m.-noon; answering service calls returned next business day). Fax: 912-356-2767 or e-mail medbank@savannahga.net. Medbank's website is www.savannahcommunity.com/so/medbank.

Assistance is also available for Medicare beneficiaries whose monthly income is less than $960 for an individual or $1286 for a couple. The Senior Legal hotline at 888-257-9519 answers questions, helps callers decide if they should apply and mails them an application.

Georgia's Division of Aging Service's HICARE program also offers a hot line at 800-669-8387 to assist Georgians with issues involving Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare supplemental insurance (Medigap) and other health insurance. Be prepared to listen to a voice mail message and leave your name, county and phone number.