by Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com and Margaret Rode, PharmacyChecker.com | Mar 3, 2011 | Drug Prices
Just over one year ago we launched this blog with a post called Drug Price S.O.S. – 120 Million Americans Struggle to Afford Medicine. That number came from a 2008 Harvard School of Public Health study showing that 4 in 10 Americans have trouble affording their prescription drugs. Sadly, the situation has gotten worse.
As reported on MSNBC.com and Reuters, new information released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics shows a dramatic increase in the number of American adults who are unable to afford healthcare. From 1997 to 2009 the precentage of Americans not taking their medications due to cost nearly doubled from – increasing from 4.8 to 8.4%. The earlier Harvard study mentioned above shows 40 percent of Americans struggling with costs; that could mean pill splitting, skipping doses, taking alternatives, or simply going without needed medication. The recent government statistics are clear about how many Americans don’t take their medication due to cost: 25 million! [8.4% of 300 million (the U.S. population) = 25 million]. (more…)
Tagged with: brand name drugs, Drug Prices, Harvard, health insurance, MSNBC, Online Pharmacies, personal drug importation, pill splitting, prescription abandonment, prescriptions, recession, Reuters, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States
by Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com and Margaret Rode, PharmacyChecker.com | Jun 11, 2010 | Medicare Drug Plans
It has reached mid-June and the first of an estimated 4 million health reform rebate checks will be sent out this week. These checks will go to Medicare enrollees who have already reached the Medicare drug plan coverage gap, known as the “doughnut hole,” and subsequent checks will be mailed out 45 days after other Medicare enrollees hit the hole. According to Medicare.gov, eligible recipients who reach the “doughnut hole” this year will receive this one-time rebate check to offer some immediate relief.
Our previous post noted that compared to the $3,610 gap, $250 doesn’t seem like a lot of money. In fact it is only one-fourteenth of the total cost seniors will have to pay to get out of that hole and back into government subsidized prescription drug territory. This realization is discouraging in itself, but added to the fact that drug companies are boosting their prices higher than ever, seniors are faced with diluted savings that make little to no impact on their financial access to necessary prescription drugs.
The $250 check some seniors will receive this week, and others throughout the year, is welcome relief, but until pharmaceutical manufacturer’s stop taking advantage of consumers in need by jacking drug prices, prescription abandonment, prescription non-adherence, and unavoidable debt, will undoubtedly continue to grow.
Tagged with: Drug Prices, Healthcare Reform, pharmaceutical companies, prescription abandonment, seniors
by Gabriel Levitt, President, PharmacyChecker.com and Prescription Justice | Mar 22, 2010 | Skipping medications
Last month we reported on the national crisis of high prescription drug prices, showing that at the beginning of the recession 40% of Americans were struggling to afford their prescription drug prices (Harvard School of Public Health). Sadly, new data further highlights this national emergency and shows that the problem is getting worse. Focusing on Americans with insurance, a report by Wolter Kluwer Pharma Solutions found that 14.4% of new prescriptions were not filled in 2009, an increase of 5.5% over 2008. The study attributed the increase to rising co-payments. In fact, 24% more prescriptions were simply abandoned in 2009 than 2008. Prescription abandonment is when a patient does not pick up his or her prescription at the pharmacy. The problem is more acute with brand name drugs than generics.
To stop the increasing tide of Americans skipping their medications due to cost, it is more urgent than ever that increase access to safe and affordable medication. In the short term, healthcare reform will provide limited drug price relief but will not significantly help struggling Americans any time soon. However, low-cost online pharmacies and personal drug importation can play an important role in making sure Americans are taking the medicines they need right now. Canadian and other international online pharmacies, for example, offer drug savings of about 70% on brand name drugs. Legalizing personal drug importation and educating consumers about how to safely order prescription drugs from such pharmacies is the right prescription.
Tagged with: Drug Price S.O.S., Harvard School of Public Health, health reform, Healthcare Reform, prescription abandonment, wolter kluwer
