Rapporto del CDC: 9 milioni di americani non assumono i farmaci prescritti a causa dei costi

“We’ve reached a point now where out-of-pocket healthcare costs do not make sense,” agreed Neil Owens, PhD, the president and COO of Medicure. “Patients are often paying more with their co-pay than the actual medication costs.”

People then stop taking their medications or try to ration them because of the constant changes in their coverage and cost, he explained. “One month their medication is covered and the next it isn’t, or there are new requirements to meet. That makes people give up.”

If you are finding that your medications are no longer affordable, you may want to speak with a pharmacist or the drug provider to see if there are less expensive options available, suggested Susan Lang, CEO and founder of Visory Health. “You can also ask your pharmacist for help in identifying cost-effective options so you can stay on your medication and stay healthy.”

Another option might be a drug assistance program that offers free or low-cost medicines if you don’t have insurance or cannot afford your medicine. You could also research co-pay assistance programs, generic drug options, and discount pharmacy cards like those offered by GoodRx and Visory Health.

Another option is to look into pharmacies that allow you the option to self-pay for your prescriptions instead of using your insurance like Marley Drug, Freedom Pharmacy, DiRx, and more. These types of pharmacies allow you to get your prescription at a cost that is significantly less than a traditional pharmacy might charge.

For instance, Abiraterone, which is used to treat prostate cancer costs $20,309 cash for 120 tablets from a national pharmacy chain and $2,835 with a GoodRx coupon, Villanova explained. Marley Drug’s price is $152 for 120 tablets, he noted.

“By sourcing directly from manufacturers, pharmacies can bypass the system intermediaries such as drug wholesalers and PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers) to lower prices for consumers,” added Arora. “Online pharmacies are also offering programs where a preset number of prescriptions and unlimited refills are provided for an entire year to consumers for a very low annual fee.”

Keep in mind that when using traditional pharmacies, the price will be the same no matter where you go when you fill through insurance, emphasized Pidakala. “Americans don’t realize that you can forgo your insurance and pay cash.”

Because the self-pay price at these pharmacies may vary widely in the U.S., it is important to do your research, though. It’s also important to note that even though these pharmacies are cash-based, they still may accept your HSA credit card or other payment cards. Also, some may be state-specific and others may be able to offer prescriptions regardless of where you live.

Overall, if you are overwhelmed with your drug costs, Dr. Purdy suggested starting by opening a discussion with your healthcare provider. “Find out about other treatment options, less expensive generics, or patient-assistance programs provided by non-profit or pharmaceutical organizations. You also can speak to local lawmakers to make prescription drug affordability a top priority.”