Medication Costs: The Role Physicians Play with Their Senior Patients

Until there is a full integrated solution, there are a few links on this site to give some helpful information regarding discounted or $4.00 prescription prices at retailers. I use these too! I need help as well as the seniors with prescription costs. Sometimes this can mean the difference of whether or not the patient can afford the prescription. Not to fault the physicians either here as this is a new thought process to be considered and included with the office visit. They know what works and when patient flow is heavy, may not think about the lower cost alternatives if one is available for treatment. It's also a good idea for us, the patient, to be aware of these facts so as not to put the entire burden on the physician too, so we have teamwork. I have spoken with some senior groups and I always make sure I take time to cover this topic so they too are in the know.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/553368_print(may require log in)
A cross-sectional, random sample of 1,200 internal medicine and family practice physicians in California, selected from the American Medical Association (AMA) Masterfile list, were mailed self-administered questionnaires.
Physicians need resource guides to assist with rapid and up-to-date access to health plan formularies, discount programs, and the least-expensive therapeutic alternatives to assist them with cost-reducing strategies and cost-effective prescribing. An integrated e-prescribing system is one example of how a healthcare system could assist physicians with this challenging and often confusing task.[27] A tool to assist physicians in prospectively identifying seniors at high risk for financial burden due to out-of-pocket medication costs may prompt clinicians to take the time to discuss medication costs and possibly prevent detrimental cost-reducing strategies such as skipping or spacing out medications when seniors cannot afford their medication.