Americans Not Filling Prescriptions, Delaying Care to Curb Health Costs

Americans are putting off health and dental care, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation health tracking poll released today. 6 in 10, or 59% of those polled, admitted to at least one of the seven cost cutting measures asked in the poll, including two questions regarding prescription drugs. Of those who admitted that they have delayed or put off care due to cost, over one-quarter admitted to failing to fill a prescription. Worse, 18% said that they had cut their pills in half, a practice not recommended for optimal treatment benefits and, in some cases, could put health at risk. Are Americans in the know about their prescription drug cost cutting options? Families feeling the economic pinch can use these cost saving ideas below to take the pain out of prescription drug costs.

Ways to save money on prescription medication needs

The Kaiser Family Foundation poll showed that 29% of survey respondents that admitted to select cost cutting behaviors admitted to not filling a prescription due to cost. However, there are many prescription programs available that may help offset the cost of a prescription. Partnership for Prescription Assistance is one such program and patients, caregivers and physicians can search by state for prescription assistance programs. Astra Zeneca has its own program, Rxassist, which may also help connect patients with low cost or free medications.

Patients can also check with chain pharmacies and retail giants such as Walmart and obtain lists of the medications on the $4 list. A patient should never feel embarrassed to ask their doctor if a cheaper medicine is available to treat their medical condition. Doctors want you to take your medicine and if it is too expensive for you, they need to know so they can try to help find an affordable alternative if possible.

Keeping an eye out for prescription offers can also save money. In competitive markets, chain pharmacies will often place gift card offers in their ads to entice customers to make the switch to their pharmacy. Target ads, Walgreens ads, and Rite Aid ads are all good places to offers to transfer a prescription for a $10-$25 gift card. Competing pharmacies such as CVS will often match competitor offers, so save those prescription coupons. Not all offers are good on new prescriptions, however, so be sure to read the fine print. Transferring a prescription among a few pharmacies and cashing in on gift card offers can help ease budget stress and leave more money for other health care needs.

Free antibiotics may also be available in your area. Some grocery chains are offering free antibiotics. Giant is currently offering free oral antibiotics until July 11 and Wegmans' free antibiotic promotion ends on April 30. For those near a Schnucks, their free oral antibiotic prescription promotion is ongoing on their website.

In addition to offering free generic antibiotics, the Meijer chain also offers free prenatal vitamins to their customers. For the deep south Southerners with a Publix nearby, free antibiotics are available at Publix.

Customers wishing to cash in on free antibiotics should make themselves aware of the free antibiotic lists at each store. There is some overlap, but not all lists are identical.

Sources:

http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/upload/7891.pdf
http://www.rxassist.org/default.cfm
https://www.pparx.org/Intro.php
http://giantfood.com/antibiotics
http://www.schnucks.com/pharmacyprogram.asp
http://www.meijer.com/content/content_leftnav_manual.jsp?pageName=free_prenatal_vitamins
http://www.publix.com/wellness/pharmacy/Home.do