COSTLY PRESCRIPTIONS Study: Many don't reveal they skimp on meds

Speaking up about problems affording medication can help, experts say.
SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE
Two-thirds of chronically ill patients failed to tell their doctors they would have to skimp on their medicines because of the cost before they stopped taking them, according to a new study published Monday.
And more than one-third of the patients never told their physicians they weren't taking the drugs they'd been prescribed for serious medical problems such as high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure or osteoporosis, researchers found.
"These chronically ill adults are the patients who most need their medications. Yet their doctors don't know that they aren't taking them because of cost pressures," said John Piette, and lead author of the study in the Archives of Internal Medicine and a researcher at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and the University of Michigan Medical School.
Importance of survey
The survey of 660 patients, drawn from a national sample of people over age 50 with at least one serious medical problem, underscores how important it is for doctors and nurses to take the initiative in asking patients if they're having trouble paying for drugs and helping them seek solutions, the researchers said.
Two-thirds of those who said they had stopped taking a drug because of cost problems also said their health provider never asked them if there was any difficulty paying for the drugs.
"As drug costs and the number of chronically ill Americans both continue to rise, it's essential that health care providers proactively discuss costs and adherence with their patients," said Piette, who recently published another landmark study that showed long-term health consequences for people who cut back on their medications.
The patients in the new study were slightly less educated and had lower incomes than the national average.
Sixty-four percent had at most a high school education, and 30 percent had an annual household income of $20,000 or less.
Getting help
On the other hand, those patients who did eventually raise the issue of medication costs with their health provider got some help.
More than 90 percent said they received free samples from their doctor; 69 percent got a prescription for a less expensive, generic form of a drug; and 59 percent were counseled about which drugs were too important to skip.
However, only 30 percent of patients were informed of programs that help pay drug costs and fewer people (28 percent) were told where to purchase less expensive medication.
Only about 10 percent of the patients who raised the issue of cost got referred to a social worker or other professional who could help them navigate a growing array of government and private assistance programs for people having trouble paying for medications.
"The bottom line for patients is, speak up or you might miss a great chance to get help," Piette said.