Healthy Skepticism Library item: 502

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Ipsos: Branded drug prices spurring non-compliance
Eyeforpharma 2004 Aug 24

Full text:

According to a recent study by Ipsos PharmTrends, although the number of prescriptions filled by Americans each year continues to grow, the rate of non-fulfillment is outpacing the growth in drug expenditures.

In 2003, 16 million (14.5%) households in the United States failed to fill a prescription received from their doctors, up 21% over 2002 levels.

“The highest levels of non-fulfillment are for branded drugs where no generic alternative is available,” Fariba Zamaniyan, Vice President of Ipsos Health said. “Prices of these drugs can be cost-prohibitive for some patients and non-fulfillment may cause their condition to go untreated, despite doctors’ best intentions.”

Zamaniyan says that although the number of patients with prescription drug insurance coverage has increased, for those without coverage or with limited coverage, rising drug prices continue to be an obstacle. Out of pocket costs paid by consumers for prescription drugs are up an average of 17% since 1998.

Ipsos attributes much of the rising unfulfillment of prescriptions to seniors, whose insurance coverage although better than ever, is still much less than the national average.

In 2003, 23% of seniors paid full price to fill their prescriptions.
Non-fulfillment, not surprisingly, is highest among seniors whose annual household income is less than $20,000.

Seniors 65 and over reported inventory and cost as leading reasons for not filling their prescriptions.

“Drug costs continue to be prohibitive for many Americans, particularly seniors,” Zamaniyan said. “Rising health needs are a factor of aging and a result of greater health-related expenditures. But for many seniors on a fixed or low income, the price of multiple treatments can be unaffordable.”

Patient compliance is one of the greatest challenges our industry faces and affording branded drugs is one of the greatest challenges many seniors face.
Despite much good work within the industry to introduce prescription drug benefit plans to assist seniors, it is clear the job is far from done.