Cost Of Prescription Drugs Worries Many Americans
While Americans generally appreciate the potential benefits of taking prescription drugs, a majority believe prescription medicines are too expensive, and four in ten have had problems paying for drugs prescribed for themselves or for family members, according to a poll conducted by USA Today, together with the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health.
The survey of 1,695 adults ages 18 years and older found that 47% have a favorable view of pharmaceutical companies, while 44% have an unfavorable opinion of drug companies. The findings also showed that 79% of respondents believe the cost of prescription drugs is unreasonable, and 70% say pharmaceutical companies are too concerned about making profits and not concerned enough about helping people.
At the same time, however, 73% of the adults surveyed agree that the prescription drugs developed over the past 20 years have made the lives of people in the U.S. better, and 63% said that prescription medications have had a positive impact on their own lives and/or the lives of family members. Some 59% told pollsters they believe prescription drugs reduce the need for expensive medical procedures and hospitalizations, and 56% agreed that prescription drugs can lower health care costs by preventing illnesses.
More than half (54%) of those surveyed said they are currently taking prescription drugs, and 19% indicated they are taking four or more prescription medicines. Asked about their ability to pay for the medications they and their families need, 41% reported that their family has had problems paying for prescriptions, with 29% saying that, in the last two years, they have not filled a prescription because of the cost, and 23% admitting they have cut pills in half or skipped doses to make medication last longer. Results further showed that the respondents most likely to report having problems paying for drugs are those who take a larger number of medications, those who lack insurance, and those with lower incomes.
The survey also found that many Americans have ambivalent views on prescription drug advertising. While more than half (53%) of respondents said they believe prescription drug advertising is mostly a good thing, and 67% agreed that these ads educate people about treatments and encourage them to seek help for conditions of which they may have otherwise been unaware, 77% said they believe the cost of advertising prescription medications makes the drugs too costly, 66% think ads encourage people to take drugs they don’t need, and 68% believe there are too many prescription drug ads on television.
Nearly one-third (32%) of respondents said they have asked a doctor about a drug they saw advertised. Of this group, 44% said their doctor wrote them a prescription for the drug they asked about, and 54% said their doctor recommended another prescription drug. Researchers noted that this means that 82% of patients who discussed with their doctors a drug they saw advertised were given a prescription of some kind as a result.
When asked to identify their sources of information about prescription drugs, 72% of respondents said they rely to a large extent on their physician to provide accurate information about medications, while 51% said they consult pharmacists, 43% said they read drug product packaging, 22% said they look to government agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and 15% indicated they speak to family and friends. At the same time, however, fewer than half (44%) of the adults surveyed said they talk to their doctors about the cost of prescriptions, while 61% said they speak to their pharmacist about whether less expensive alternatives to the drugs they are purchasing are available.
