Prescription For Trouble: New Study Shows Many Patients Skipping Meds Due To Rising Co-Pays

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: Public Health;  Compliance
Article Date: 30 Nov 2007 - 3:00 PDT

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According to a new study from Thomson Medstat, as patients face higher out-of-pocket costs for cholesterol-lowering drugs, they are less likely to take their medicine and more likely to end up in the emergency room or a hospital bed.

The study that appeared recently in The American Journal of Managed Care analyzed the healthcare use, costs, and behaviors of more than 100,000 people who were prescribed statins, a common treatment for high cholesterol, from 2000 to 2003. They found that higher co-payments for statin medications made it less likely that patients would adhere to prescribed drug regimens.

"Being pennywise is pound foolish if you stop taking important medicines to treat conditions like diabetes, heart disease, depression and others," advises Dr. Jay Pinney, medical director of OPTIMIZERx Corporation, a Michigan-based patient advocacy portal that exists to educate consumers and reduce the expense of prescribed medications. "No matter what, make sure you stay on your medicines!"

If you're like most Americans, your "out-of-pocket" cost for your medicines continues to rise! Dr. Pinney offers some tips to help better manage your prescription dollars:

- Inform your doctor about your prescription coverage, including your co-pay costs.

- Try before you buy: If your doctor writes a new prescription, always request if there are available samples for use during the first month of trial.

- Ask if there are generic alternatives that may be available.

- If prescribed a branded drug, look for prescription coupon savings, free trials and other patient support programs on websites like http://www.optimizerx.com.

- Ask for a ninety-day prescription for chronic medications you take monthly and/or utilize mail order pharmacies. Often times you only have to pay for 2 months of co-pays.

Launched this year by a group of physicians and pharmaceutical industry veterans, OPTIMIZERx offers patients a single, simple Web site, where consumers can locate, evaluate, and participate in free prescription coupons, rebates, trial offers and other patient savings and support programs for the types of medicines they're taking or may require in the future.

http://www.optimizerx.com