CoverMyMeds: Many scripts unfilled due to high cost of medications
Seventy-five percent of patients have been prescribed a medication that cost more than they expected, and 50% did not fill the prescription because of the high cost, according to research from the 2018 Real-Time Benefit Check National Adoption Scorecard, published by CoverMyMeds, which is part of McKesson Prescription Technology Solutions.
The report utilizes new survey data, market research and industry statistics to present a comprehensive overview of real-time benefit check, a technology innovation that surfaces patient-specific prescription benefit details at the point of prescribing. The 2018 Real-Time Benefit Check National Adoption Scorecard introduces original research conducted by CoverMyMeds in partnership with SHC Universal and Research Now.
"With high-deductible plans on the rise, many patients are required to pay more for their medications before they meet their deductible. Patients also have limited visibility into the cost of their prescription prior to leaving the provider's office, and as a result, are more likely to abandon their prescription at the pharmacy," University of Virginia Health System pharmacy patient medical access principal coordinator Melissa Paige said, in a press statement. "Real-time benefit check solutions can drive better adherence by providing visibility into medication costs at the point of prescribing. And, as the 2018 Real-Time Benefit Check National Adoption Scorecard reveals, these solutions must be accurate, reliable and have the ability to provide a full picture of the patient's benefit information."
The report also found the following:
The report utilizes new survey data, market research and industry statistics to present a comprehensive overview of real-time benefit check, a technology innovation that surfaces patient-specific prescription benefit details at the point of prescribing. The 2018 Real-Time Benefit Check National Adoption Scorecard introduces original research conducted by CoverMyMeds in partnership with SHC Universal and Research Now.
"With high-deductible plans on the rise, many patients are required to pay more for their medications before they meet their deductible. Patients also have limited visibility into the cost of their prescription prior to leaving the provider's office, and as a result, are more likely to abandon their prescription at the pharmacy," University of Virginia Health System pharmacy patient medical access principal coordinator Melissa Paige said, in a press statement. "Real-time benefit check solutions can drive better adherence by providing visibility into medication costs at the point of prescribing. And, as the 2018 Real-Time Benefit Check National Adoption Scorecard reveals, these solutions must be accurate, reliable and have the ability to provide a full picture of the patient's benefit information."
The report also found the following:
- Thirty- seven percent of patients stopped taking a medication because it was too expensive.
- Seventy- four percent of providers agree that it would be valuable to know about available patient assistance programs at the point of prescribing.
- Eighty-three percent of electronic health records are committed to providing a real-time benefit check solution to providers at the point of care.