Millions of Americans are skipping their medication doses because of rising costs, according to a new report.
The findings, published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), examined which groups of Americans were most likely to skip doses of their medications to cut costs in 2021.
The report shows that nine million adults ages 18 to 64 skip doses, take smaller amounts, or delay ordering refills — representing 8.2 percent who didn’t take their prescriptions as instructed.
Experts are now warning that not taking medicines as prescribed can have serious health consequences.
“You have to take care of yourself,” Dr. Stuart Fischer, an internist in New York City, told DailyMail.com. “Getting sick can be very, very expensive.”
The CDC’s report found that women are more likely than men to forgo medications or not take them as prescribed because of the high cost. In addition, black, Hispanic, and people of other races are more likely than white consumers to not take medications as prescribed
Disabled Americans were more likely to fail to take their medications as prescribed than people without disabilities, the report found
According to the report, in 2021, 8.2 percent of adults ages 18 to 64 who used prescription medications in the past 12 months reported not taking medication as prescribed due to cost.
Women were more likely than men not to take their medication as prescribed. For example, 9.1 percent of women fell into this category compared to 7 percent of men.
In addition, 20 percent of disabled adults did this, compared to 7.1 percent of adults without disabilities.
And adults without prescription drug coverage were more likely to miss their dose, with 18.1 percent falling into this category compared to 6.
6 of those with private insurance and 7.
6 of those with public insurance.
These findings come at a time when the cost of prescription drugs is higher than ever.
Uninsured Americans were more than twice as likely to fail to take their medications as prescribed due to high costs than those with public or private insurance
Data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showed that the US spent more than double the amount per capita on prescription drugs than peer countries
According to the latest data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the US spent an average of $1.1126 per capita on prescription drugs in 2019, more than double that of peer countries. Other countries spent $552.
In addition, a 2021 report from RAND Corporation found that drug prices in the US were 2.56 times higher than those in 32 comparable countries. Branded drugs were 3.4 times higher on average.
The researchers estimate that total drug spending was $795 billion in all countries studied. While the US accounted for 58 percent of sales, the country accounted for only 24 percent of the volume.
The report also stated that US drug spending increased 76 percent from 2000 to 2017, and the numbers are expected to continue to rise.
An October poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that eight in 10 adults in the US said the cost of prescription drugs was “unreasonable.”
“If you don’t pay that price, you can pay with your life,” Dr. Fischer said.
The CDC estimates that failure to adhere to a prescription drug schedule accounts for 30 to 50 percent of chronic disease treatment failures and 125,000 deaths each year.
“If someone can’t afford his blood pressure medication or the doctor, and he doesn’t get treatment, he not only has high blood pressure, but also chronic kidney disease. They may need dialysis,” Dr Fischer said.
He pointed to high cholesterol as an example of a condition with disastrous consequences if not treated with medication.
A 2022 report from the American Heart Association estimated that more than one in 10 Americans has high cholesterol. Between 2015 and 2018, about 15.8 million women and 12.2 million men had it.
“There are plenty of people who can’t lower their cholesterol without medication,” Dr. Fischer said.
If left untreated, “the cholesterol will build up in their brain and their heart and then in their kidneys,” he said. “They could have a stroke or a heart attack or kidney failure.”
Health insurance also plays a role in these rising costs. In addition to health insurance premiums being expensive, the companies have internal parameters that determine which medications are covered under the plan.
In some cases, insurance may exclude the cheaper, generic variants, which can lead to higher costs for the consumer.
‘Every day the pharmacy gives us a list of dos and don’ts,’ says Dr Fischer.
‘The reason is that the insurance company is really in control here, not the healthcare professional.’
“They’re out to make money.”
In addition to speaking with your doctor, drug counseling programs can help lower the cost of some medications. These vary based on the state and the medication.