Article Review : Reducing Prescription Drug Costs

Certain drugs are classed as prescription only medicines as they have more harmful effects on an individual’s body. They are not available over the counter so to prevent the misuse of these drugs as they can lead to more serious consequences if taken incorrectly. Although, general sales list medicines can also harm an individual when taken in higher quantities, they do not run the same risk of misuse as prescription only medicines and can be self-medicated. General sales list medicines, such as Paracetamol and Ibuprofen, in higher quantities are classed as pharmacy medicines.

The prices of prescription drugs in the United States are by far the highest in the world. [1] On average, Europeans pay 40% less than Americans for the same medications. [2] Consumers have been resorting to several ways, sometimes putting themselves in harm’s way, to alleviate the burden of high prescription drug costs. Some buy their medications online or cross the borders to neighboring countries so they would be able to afford buying their needed medications. Others have resorted to the illegal act of selling their unused medications in online forums just to recover part of their expenses. Many factors contribute to the increased drug prices in the United States including research and

The safest and often most effective courses of action are normally exercise, nutrition, and work-life balance, but doctors who do not prescribe lifestyle changes instead of drugs would probably soon find themselves out of business. Informed patients who have done research on websites such as WebMD and Rxlist.com believe that they know what drug will best treat their symptoms and seek out doctors who will prescribe what they want. Financial considerations should not be the driving force of medical decision-making. Though tempting, prescription drugs are often not the best course of action to improve health and treat symptoms. Doctors

Prescription drug prices are on the rise in the United States. Currently, the United States does not implement a price control on prescription drugs. Every day the supply and demand for prescription drugs fluctuates. Pharmaceutical companies produce drugs that are necessary for survival. Therefore, it is necessary for research and development to continue in the United States. Those suffering the effects of exorbitant prices must do so until a generic form of a prescription drug is produced. Once approved by the FDA, new drugs will make their appearance on the market and patients will no longer suffer financially. Until then, it is necessary for pharmaceutical companies to price their drugs based on the idea of supply and demand. This produces the profit used to fund research. Price controls discourage innovation. If a price control were set in place, of course the price of prescription drugs would decrease. However, the development of new drugs decreases with it. Today’s generation would benefit from lower prices, while future generations would suffer from the loss of drug innovation.

Between 2001 and 2011, the average patient’s out-of-pocket (OOP) cost for brand-name prescriptions rose by more than 80% (Tungol, et al., 2012, p. 691). The increasing OOP costs have contributed to a decrease

Families and individuals saved on average three to ten dollars on non-drug spending products for each additional dollar spent on prescriptions. With a total potential net savings of $7,800 per patient in a given year. Although this is data sets provided on America’s health care system, it opens the door to Canadians about adherence rates and there overall savings benefits. Adherence to medication is important, but the number one reason for non-adherence stems from out of pocket expenses. This had led 1 in 10 Canadians to nit fill a prescription, yet alone adhere to a regiment. It comes back to the importance of insurance coverage. Other factors in contribution range from already poor health, low income,and being under the age of

Relying on prescription drugs to reduce high blood pressure could result in complications. Some high blood pressure medications may interact with other prescriptions and negatively impact your health. Additionally, the cost of purchasing prescription drugs are increasing each year. There is a natural way for you to reduce your high blood pressure, and it feels good

Health care costs are extraordinarily high and keep getting higher. Individuals in the US that do not have access to medical services are running as high as 43.4 million and This number has grown by over a million in each of the last three years. (AFSCME, n.d.). The rise of prescription drug

The rise in costs of prescription medicines affects all sectors of the health care industry, including private insurers, public programs, and patients. Spending on prescription drugs continues to be an important health care concern, particularly in light of rising pharmaceutical costs, the aging population, and increased use of costly specialty drugs. In recent history, increases in prescription drug costs have outpaced other categories of health care spending, rising rapidly throughout the latter half of the 1990s and early 2000s. (Kaiseredu.org, 2012).

Prescription drug prices rose three times faster than inflation in the decade between 1981 and 1991, making the pharmaceutical industry the nation's most profitable business. Prescription drugs even exceeded the rapidly rising inflation rate for all other medical services. They now represent at least 10% of all the medical

Pharmaceutical spending in Canada has inclined rapidly over the years. Prescriptions drug spending in Canada has been inclined by several different factors. These factors have contributed to expenditure by the growth of the population, price effects volume effects and much more. The cost of drugs has affected the drug expenditures in Canada in several different ways. Some of the factors are international pricing, inflation, retail and wholesale markups. Introducing new products to the market has increased the drug expenditure while the generic brands have decreased. Furthermore, changes in price controls or extending patent legislation has prevented a less expensive alternative from coming to the market. Changes in policies like regulations,

Study.” Discusses the use of off label medications to treat children with rare recurring medical

There is a prescription drug for every ailment, and drug corporations know this. That is why there are so many drug ads on television and on the internet. Whether you cannot sleep through the night or are suffering from headaches there is always a pill for you to take and they are advertised in commercials. We are advised to ask our doctors before taking them but many do not do so. Drugs are not like most other products where you can go to the store and grab them from off of the shelf, you need someone's permission to buy drugs. You get the permission from your doctor. When one is prescribed a drug from a trusted physician, they tend to assume it is the most effective or innovative drug available. We like to believe that our doctor would be

Prescription medication has also been around for quite some time now and also aid in eliminating symptoms both quickly and effectively. However, many of the prescription drugs used today for your most common illnesses or health conditions are packed full of some pretty nasty side effects, which accompanies more prescription medication to cover those side effects. Prescription medications do however hold a property to alleviate particular symptoms associated with an illness or health condition and work rather quickly.

Some public places like college campuses and dormitories do not have an easy access to OTC medications and first aid products. Therefore, an OTC vending machine in these places would solve that problem. It would provide convenient, reliable service. Patients who desire to self-treat will be able to get nonprescription drugs easily. It would also allow pharmacists to focus on more complex tasks from filling prescriptions and looking for intervention to counseling on prescription medications, rather than spending time on OTC counseling. In addition, daily life is overwhelming and some patients do not have the time to go ask the pharmacy for recommendations or find it unnecessary. Therefore, they just pick an OTC medication solely by looking