Strapped patients skip meds at own peril

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1219&u_sid=10488880

Published Sunday November 16, 2008
Strapped patients skip meds at own peril
BY MICHAEL O'CONNOR
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

An Omaha woman who skipped her diabetes pills because she couldn't afford them wound up with a $1,500 emergency room bill.

An Omaha man with a family history of heart disease started taking his cholesterol medicine every other day to stretch out the prescription.

Some parents have picked lower-priced antibiotics for their children even though the cheaper drugs can have unpleasant side effects.

Reduced hours at work, concerns about layoffs, dwindling retirement accounts and even high grocery prices are forcing more people to skimp on their prescriptions, Midlands doctors report.



More patients, they say, are splitting pills to stretch their prescription, taking pills every other day and skipping them entirely because they can't afford the costs.

Worse, patients are doing it without consulting their doctors or pharmacists about the consequences or whether there are alternatives or other ways to save.

FULL story at link.

Covering drug costs Talk first with your doctor and pharmacist if you're thinking of cutting back.

Ask about lower-cost generic drugs.

Compare prices among pharmacies.

Check out drug companies' programs offering free or discounted drugs based on income and insurance status. Contact the Partnership for Prescription Assistance. Call: 888-477-2669 or check pparx.org.

Source: Dr. Kristine McVea of OneWorld Community Health Centers

[OhioChick]

1. It's pathetic that people have to skip/go without their meds.

I read somewhere here in the past a breakdown of what drugs actually cost to produce and what they're sold for thereafter. Robbery. :grr:

K&R

[dflprincess]

2. Add in more employers moving to "consumer driven" insurance plans

with higher deductibles, higher maximum out of pockets and higher copays. I know my employer's plan is going to as much as a $50 copay for a brand name drug - even when there is no generic equivalent.

It's not a good idea to spread your prescriptions across mulitiple pharmacies, especially if different doctors have written your prescriptions. The pharmacist is the one who is most apt to catch you've been given prescritions that won't interact well together. Mail order can be a bad idea for this reason as well.

[Shardik]

3. "Thank god we live in America where we have the best medical care in the world."

I have heard many times as a repug mantra.

Yeah. If you can afford it.

[midnight]

4. Why does this suprise me?

I went to a funeral this past summer for a teenager who lost her life to diabetes. She never woke up. I will write this no. down and thanks for passing this info. on.

[grilled onions]

5. Discounts According To Income Isn't Always Fair

Some may actually have more then half their annual income going on meds while someone earning half that much has lesser costly meds they need. Therre are so many gray areas when dealing with those who need meds and what they should be charged.Not all meds have a generic version and some have to take the most costly forms because others don't work or have major side effects. I cringe when I see the "vultures" in the medical offices. These are the pharma industry "drug salesmen" dressed to the nines, having a mini party in the back of the room while the patients waiting their turn may or may not be able to afford the meds these people hawk to the doctors. Yes, some hand out samples but needy patients rarely get a steady supply.
This countries healthcare system is sick to say the least.

[CAG]

6. Aahhh, ain't that nice, the drug companies CARE and offer DISCOUNTS

"Check out drug companies' programs offering free or discounted drugs based on income and insurance status. Contact the Partnership for Prescription Assistance. Call: 888-477-2669 or check pparx.org."

Don't believe the hype; they're all making 20% profit margins, paying more for administration and advertising than actual research, and these discount programs are just propaganda to make us feel good about their otherwise highway robbery.