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Everyone enjoys saving money, but what if saving money was putting your health at risk? Over time, there is a rising number of cases of prescription abandonment. In Europe, the government has mandated that major pharmacies reduce drug prices to reduce the number of abandoned prescriptions. Countries like Greece and Spain have implemented drug cuts up to 25%. There is a fear that the prescription abandonment rate in the US will increase, especially as US drug spending is increasing.
Prescription Abandonment Statistics
Prescription abandonment statistics have revealed that there has been a 55% rise in the abandonment of prescriptions compared to four years ago. A pharmacy in the United States claims that about 100 prescriptions a week are filled but not picked up by patients, compared to last year, when there were only about 7. In 2008, there were 5 million patients who had gotten 10.3 million prescriptions filled, but only 3.3% of those were picked up. (For a deeper breakdown of trends, see Prescription Abandonment Rate & Statistics in US.)
This rise in abandonment is linked to an increase in the price of brand-name drugs. In the past five years, brand-name medications have risen by 41.5% in price, reflecting the broader rise in the price of prescription drugs. More and more doctors are now prescribing generics to ensure that patients are using the drugs. Generic drugs account for about 75% of prescribed medications. Just because the generic is cheaper than the brand-name drug does not mean it does not have the same effects. The generic has the same strength and side effects as the brand-name drug; they are completely alike besides shape or color.
Reasons – Abandoned Prescriptions
The main reason that drugs are being abandoned is that people cannot afford them, and drug prices are affecting patient health care in more ways than one. Drugs with higher prices are 3-5 times more likely to be unclaimed, especially with people who must pay co-insurance. New prescriptions given to a patient will also most likely be abandoned. If patients are switched to a new drug, they may not have a full understanding of why they are being switched, and therefore will not pick up their prescriptions. Also, patients who have had their prescriptions electronically filled out are more likely to forget about their prescription than patients who go to the pharmacy directly.
Many patients do not find out how much their prescription will be until they drop it off at the pharmacy. Before getting a prescription, ask your doctor how much the drug costs to get more information. If you find it too expensive, ask your doctor to switch you to something cheaper or to a generic if it is a brand. Another way to save money is to shop at big stores, such as Costco or Walmart, if you are looking for over-the-counter medications. You can also buy drugs online—just make sure you know how to determine if an online pharmacy is safe.
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