Low-Cost Measures on Medication

Patient challenges in covering prescriptions are going to be an everyday thing we will encounter in primary care. The most affected population is the elderly since they are more likely to take multiple medications due to multiple comorbidities with limited monthly income. However, the cost of medicines in America is an issue that only we experience.

According to a new Research and Development (RAND) Corporation, prescription drug prices in the United States are significantly higher than in other nations, with prices in the United States averaging 2.56 times those seen in 32 different countries, according to a new Research and Development (RAND) Corporation (Mulcahy et al., 2021). It can be particularly challenging to get medications covered for Medicare patients if they don’t have Medicare drug coverage, which is part D. The reason for part D is not on the Medicare insurance plan because it is optional. However, a patient can always add this to their Medicare plan but with a penalty (How to get prescription drug coverage | Medicare, 2021).

Either way, for any insurance to pay for any medications, it is going to have obstacles. Even at times, the co-pay can be too expensive for patients; this is where Walmart has been helpful. The Walmart pharmacy has a program known as $4 prescriptions and has nearly 100 different generic medicines available that are the most commonly prescribed. Walmart also provides options between 30 and 90 days’ supply, which is helpful if a medication is chronic. In addition, many pharmaceutical companies, state programs, and nonprofits have drug assistance programs (PAPs) that offer free or low-cost medicines whether a patient has no insurance and can’t afford medicine (Drug Assistance Programs | AAFA.org, 2020).

References

Drug Assistance Programs | AAFA.org. (2020). Aafa.org. https://www.aafa.org/patient- assistance-medicine-drug-programs

How to get prescription drug coverage | Medicare. (2021). Medicare.gov. https://www.medicare.gov/drug-coverage-part-d/how-to-get-prescription-drug-coverage

Mulcahy, A. W., Whaley, C. M., Gizaw, M., Schwam, D., Edenfield, N., & Becerra-Ornelas, A. (2021, January 28). International Prescription Drug Price Comparisons: Current Empirical Estimates and Comparisons with Previous Studies. Rand.org; RAND Corporation. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2956.html

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Some of the patients may not have prescription coverage.

Low-Cost Measures on Medication

Discuss some low-cost measures to help patients have access to medication. How can you or the staff determine the Rx cost for the patient? Citation and reference required.

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APA format with intext citations

Word count minimum of 250, not including references.

References: 2 high-level scholarly references within the last 5 years in APA format.

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