News reports of patients with type 1 diabetes rationing insulin because of the cost and dying from diabetic ketoacidosis have focused attention on the hazards of high drug prices.
One in four people who take prescription drugs say they have difficulty affording their medications, the Kaiser Family Foundation found in a survey published earlier this year. Moreover, 29% of survey respondents reported not taking their prescription medication at some point in the past year because of the cost.
Doctors can point patients toward financial assistance programs and copay coupons from drug manufacturers, David M. Tridgell, MD, writes for Medscape. "However, many providers (myself included) have misgivings about coupons," he notes. Although they cut costs for patients at the pharmacy counter, research suggests coupons raise overall healthcare costs.
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Cite this: Do You Try to Help Patients Pay for Prescriptions? - Medscape - Dec 24, 2019.
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