Medications can do wonderful things, from fighting infection to
preventing stroke and warding off depression. But medications don’t work
if they aren’t taken. Some people don’t take their medications as
prescribed because they forget, or are bothered by side effects. A new
report from the National Center for Health Statistics shines the light
on another reason: some people can’t pay for their medications.
The survey, by NCHS researchers Robin A. Cohen and Maria A.
Villarroel, found that about 8% of adult Americans don’t take their
medicines as prescribed because they can’t afford them. Insurance
coverage often influenced this money-saving strategy. Among younger
adults (those under age 65), 6% who had private insurance skipped
medicines to save money, compared to 10% for those with Medicaid and 14%
of those with no insurance. Among the poorest adults — those with
incomes well below the federal poverty level — nearly 14% did not take
medications as prescribed to save money.
Other strategies that those surveyed said they used to save money on
drug costs included asking doctors for lower-cost medications, buying
prescription drugs from other countries, and using alternative
therapies.
The findings were published online as a National Center for Health Statistics Data Brief.
Soaring medication costs
Given the range of health conditions that many adults face, from high
cholesterol and high blood pressure to arthritis, diabetes, and more,
it’s not unusual for some people to take five or more different
prescription drugs per day. Some people I admit to the hospital have 10
or more different medications listed on their medical records. Even if
they could afford them, managing that many different medicines is a
challenge — and is often impossible.
Not taking medications as prescribed can cause serious problems. It
can lead to unnecessary complications related to a medical condition. It
can lead to a bad outcome, like a heart attack or stroke. It can also
increase medical costs if hospitalization or other medical interventions
are needed.
With the high price of most prescription drugs, it’s not surprising
that many Americans choose not to fill a prescription or take it as
directed to save money. Even with health insurance that includes a
prescription drug benefit, the copayments alone can be a prohibitive.
New medications continue to be approved yearly; few are taken off the
market. The price of new drugs is always high, and prices don’t always
fall when drugs become available as generics.
Cutting medication costs the safe way
If you are having difficulty affording your medications, here are some questions to ask your doctor:
Which medicines are the most essential for me? If
your medications have been prescribed by different doctors, ask one of
them — preferably your primary care physician — which ones are really
necessary. Get an explanation of how each drug improves your quality of
life, keeps you out of the hospital, and/or helps you live longer.
Which medicines might I be able to stop with minimal risk to my health? There
aren’t always easy answers to this question. You may need to do your
own research to make a shared decision with your doctor.
Are there lifestyle changes I can make now that might let me stop some of my medications? For
conditions such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, lifestyle
changes such as exercising more and following a healthier diet can often
decrease the number and dose of drugs you take.
Here are some other cost-saving tips:
- If you have a prescription drug plan, ask your doctor to prescribe drugs that are “preferred.” These will be the least expensive.
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist if a generic version of your medication is available.
- If no generic is available, ask your doctor or pharmacist if a less-expensive brand name drug in the same medication family would work as well.
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist about pill splitting. With some medications, there is little or no cost difference between low-dose and high-dose pills. With a $5 pill splitter, you can buy the higher-dose version and save 50%.
- Shop around. Even with prescription medications, prices can vary a lot. I recently compared the price of a commonly prescribed antibiotic. I found one major drug store that charged one-third the price compared to another.
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