Physician Strategies to Reduce Patients’ Out-of-pocket Prescription Costs

Abstract

Out-of-pocket costs account for approximately one fifth of health expenditures and have increased markedly during the past decades.^1,2 These costs have been the focus of considerable public concern, most recently surrounding the Medicare prescription drug benefit.³ Numerous studies suggest that high out-of-pocket costs may lead to cost-related medication nonadherence⁴ and otherwise threaten quality of care.^5-7