Posted: November 28th, 2022

Medication non-adherence is a growing issue worldwide

Medication non-adherence is becoming increasingly common around the world. Medication non-adherence, according to Cutler et al. (2019), is strongly related to the cost of prescription medication. This is a significant issue because if patients do not take their medications as prescribed, the treatment plan’s effectiveness may suffer. As a result, when providing care to individuals, it is critical to consider the cost and whether the patient can afford or access the prescription.
Individuals in the United States spend approximately $1500 per year on prescription medications (CMS, 2022). Government programs, such as Medicare Part D, assist low-income patients in obtaining affordable medicines by lowering the cost of prescription medications. Medicare is now able to negotiate new lower medication prices thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act (CMS, 2022). This new program has greatly increased access to innovative and one-of-a-kind treatment options at a lower cost (CMS, 2022).
Another way to help reduce prescription costs is to prescribe generic medications. According to studies, generic drugs are comparable to brand-name drugs in terms of clinical outcomes. Generic drugs have the same active ingredients as brand-name drugs but are less expensive (Desai et al., 2019).
During my clinical rotation, I discovered that GoodRx is an excellent tool for comparing prescription pricing, and it also offers coupons. Furthermore, some medication sites have programs that are directly linked to the company and assist patients in obtaining medication for free or at a reduced price.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) (2022). Millions of Americans will benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act. https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/inflation-reduction-act-lowers-health-care-costs-millions-americans
R. L. Cutler, N. Van der Linden, Shalom I (Charlie) Benrimoj, F. Fernandez-Llimos, and V. Garcia-Cardenas. An evidence-based model for estimating the cost of medication adherence: The framework for estimating the cost of medication adherence. 555-555-567 in Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research, 8(8). doi:https://doi.org/10.2217/cer-2018-0099
Desai, R. J., Sarpatwari, A., Dejene, S., Khan, N. F., Lii, J., Rogers, J. R., Dutcher, S. K., Raofi, S., Bohn, J., Connolly, J. G., Fischer, M. A database study of US health insurance claims revealed the comparative effectiveness of generic and brand-name medication use. The journal PLoS Medicine, 16(3), e1002763. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.100276
2. Judy Nguyen posted on November 24, 2022 at 6:43 a.m. Thursday, November 24, 2022, 6:43 a.m. PST Obtaining prescriptions for patients who do not have health insurance is frequently a financial burden. Many people in the state of Washington are uninsured, underinsured, or have no option for health insurance. As a result, people may fail to obtain prescribed medications or stick to medication regimens. Continuous noncompliance may result in complications such as disease worsening, disability, and even death. Although there are numerous resources available to assist this client population, it is also critical that providers and staff exercise caution when prescribing medications that are cost effective for the patients.
Washington has several programs to assist patients in obtaining medications for free or at a low cost, including:
Prescription Drug Assistance Foundation: This is a program that assists Washington residents who have insufficient prescription drug coverage, even if they have Medicaid, private insurance, or healthcare exchange coverage.
ArrayRx Card: The Washington Prescription Drug Program was recently renamed ArrayRx and offers the same assistance. This program offers prescription drug discounts to those without prescription drug coverage. Anyone in the state of Washington is eligible to participate in this program for free. There are no age or income restrictions. This program is used to cover prescriptions that are not covered by people’s insurance plans or by Medicare recipients who do not have Part D coverage. Several prescription companies offer mail-in rebates and coupons for pharmaceuticals that certain patients can use if they need assistance with coverage. Another resource is GoodRx, which offers discounts of up to 80% on certain medications.

References:
AMA. (2020). There are eight reasons why patients do not take their medications. Retrieved from https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/patient-support-advocacy/8-reasons-patients-dont-take-their-medications
Washington State Health Insurance Administration Get assistance with paying for prescriptions. Wa.gov. https://www.hca.wa.gov/free-or-low-cost-health-care/get-help-paying-prescriiptions
Prescriiption Drug Assistance Foundation. (2022). Prescriiption Drug Assistance Foundation. Retrieved November 23, 2022, from https://prescriiptiondrugassistance.org/

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