Before the day is over, nearly half of all adults in this country will be taking some form of prescription medication.

For a lot of people, drugs take a big bite out of the monthly budget.

Consumer Reports is out with some brand-new advice on how you can stretch your health care dollars.

Tip #1: Switch to generic

Doctors are human. Sometimes they prescribe medicine that salespeople push the hardest instead of those that re the best or the cheapest.

"You can save hundreds or even thousands a year by switching from one of the heavily advertised drugs to an equally affective generic drug in the same class," said Ronnie Sandroff, Consumer Reports health editor.

For example, if you have high cholesterol, ask about switching from top-selling Lipitor to a new generic called Lovastatin.The switch will save you $64 per month.

Tip #2: Pick drugs with a tried-and-true record

"Older drugs have a longer safety record and they can be just as good as newer drugs and cost a lot less," Sandroff said.

If you suffer from diabetes, Metformin is a tried-and-true diabetes drug and, compared to the leading diabetes medicine, it will save you a very sweet $109 per month.

Tip #3: Don't overlook the over-the-counter options

Many over-the-counter drugs have about the same effect as their expensive prescription counterparts.

If you're an allergy sufferer, generic Claritin is now available over the counter. It can be an option instead of the prescription drug Zyrtec. And the savings are nothing to sneeze at, at $88 per month.

And for heartburn, instead of Nexium, try the less-pricey Prilosec. You'll pocket a soothing $184 per month, which adds up to a whopping $2,208 per year.

Tip #4: Talk to your doctor first

But the pharmaceutical industry cautions users not to oversimplify in the name of savings.

"We are all different, medicines are different. And really the decision should best take place between the doctor and the patient in terms of what drug is best for a given patient," said Lori Reilly with the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association.

Obviously, you'll have to talk to your doctor before you make any of these changes. And studies show many doctors aren't used to talking about costs, but it's a good conversation to have.

Other ways to save: if your health plan has a mail-order pharmacy, give it a try. You can often save a lot, especially if you can get a three-month supply. That way, you only have to make one co-pay.

And don't forget the $4 prescription drugs available at Wal-Mart and Target. More drugs are being added to the list all the time.

For $4, it may be cheaper to put away the prescription card, skip the co-pay and just pay cash.