Report: Hispanic consumers skimping on Rx to cut costs

YONKERS, N.Y. According to a national poll released Thursday, 29% of Hispanic consumers reported not filling a prescription on account of cost.

Respondents to the Consumer Reports National Research Center poll also reported several cost-cutting strategies, such as getting free drug samples from doctors (28%), skipping or taking smaller doses (19%) or sharing the cost of the prescription with someone else on the same medicine (6%).

"We were surprised by the extent to which Hispanic consumers are cutting corners and the risks they're taking to save money,” stated Jose Luis Mosquera, Consumer Reports medical expert. “The most important thing is for patients to talk to their doctors about the cost of medicines. This can be challenging for some patients, especially where there are language and cultural barriers.”

When asked about how easy or difficult it is to afford health care, 66% of Hispanics responded "difficult" or "very difficult," including 44% who had no health insurance. All told, three-quarters of Hispanics earning less than $50,000 annually and those born outside the United States or Puerto Rico reported difficulty dealing with cost, along with nearly 7-in-10 of those under the age of 55.

Over the past six months, 38% of Hispanic adults have taken a prescription medication. Recent prescription use tracked strongly with age, Consumer Reports reported, with 80% of Latinos ages 55 years or older having used a medication, compared with just 19% of those under age 35.

Hispanics without health insurance were more than twice as likely as those with health insurance to forego a prescribed medication because of cost. And they were nearly twice as likely to skip a dose to make a prescribed medication last longer. Approximately one-quarter of uninsured Hispanics reported taking a smaller dose to make a prescription last longer versus 16% of Hispanics with health insurance.

The poll is being released in conjunction with Consumer Reports Best Drugs for Less, a 60-page magazine that rates more than 200 prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines for more than 20 conditions.