Prescription For Trouble: New Study Shows Many Patients Skipping Meds Due To Rising Co-Pays

Unless generics are available, many patients don't take their medications if they are out of reach with insurance plans or if they don't have insurance...BD

The study that appeared recently in The American Journal of Managed Care analyzed the healthcare use, costs, and behaviors of more than 100,000 people who were prescribed statins, a common treatment for high cholesterol, from 2000 to 2003. They found that higher co-payments for statin medications made it less likely that patients would adhere to prescribed drug regimens. "Being penny wise is pound foolish if you stop taking important medicines to treat conditions like diabetes, heart disease, depression and others," advises Dr. Jay Pinney, medical director of OPTIMIZERx Corporation, a Michigan-based patient advocacy portal that exists to educate consumers and reduce the expense of prescribed medications. "No matter what, make sure you stay on your medicines!"