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Strategies used by adults aged 18–64 to reduce their prescription drug costs, 2017
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March 2019
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[PDF-415.45 KB]
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Description:Key findings
Data from the National Health Interview Survey
• Among adults aged 18–64 who were prescribed medication in the past 12 months, the percentage who used selected strategies to reduce their prescription drug costs in the past 12 months decreased from 2013 through 2015 and then remained stable from 2015 through 2017.
• In 2017, among adults aged 18–64 who were prescribed medication, women were more likely than men to use selected strategies to reduce their prescription drug costs.
• In 2017, strategies for reducing prescription drug costs were most commonly practiced among those who were uninsured compared with those with private insurance or Medicaid, as 39.5% asked their doctor for a lower-cost medication, 33.6% did not take their medication as prescribed, and 13.9% used alternative therapies.
In 2017, nearly 60% of U.S. adults aged 18–64 reported being prescribed medication in the past 12 months (1). Approximately 70% of prescription medications carry out-of-pocket costs, with generics costing on average $6 and brand names costing on average $30 (2). Strategies to reduce prescription drug costs at the individual level may include asking one’s doctor for a lower-cost medication, not taking medication as prescribed, or using alternative therapies (3). This report examines changes over time in the percentage of adults aged 18–64 who were prescribed medication and reported using these selected strategies to reduce their prescription drug costs in the past 12 months.
Suggested citation: Cohen RA, Boersma P, Vahratian A. Strategies used by adults aged 18–64 to reduce their prescription drug costs, 2017. NCHS Data Brief, no 333. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2019.
CS302701
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