title: Strategies used by adults to reduce their prescription drug costs.
abstract: In 2011, Americans spent $45 billion out-of-pocket on retail prescription drugs (1). Some adults reduce prescription drug costs by skipping doses and delaying filling prescriptions (2). Some cost-reduction strategies used by adults have been associated with negative health outcomes. For example, adults who do not take prescription medication as prescribed have been shown to have poorer health status and increased emergency room use, hospitalizations, and cardiovascular events (3,4). This report analyzes different strategies used by U.S. adults to reduce their prescription drug costs, by age, health insurance status, and poverty status, using data from the 2011 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Health Interview Statistics, Hyattsville, MD 20782, USA.
authors.forename: Robin A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Whitney K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Kirzinger
authors.forename: Renee M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Gindi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017046:Cost Savings / Q000379:methods; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007356:Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs