{"id":11767,"date":"2023-09-06T07:43:27","date_gmt":"2023-09-06T11:43:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthadvocate.com\/site\/?p=11767"},"modified":"2023-09-12T22:28:17","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T02:28:17","slug":"overcoming-barriers-to-medication-access","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthadvocate.com\/site\/article\/overcoming-barriers-to-medication-access","title":{"rendered":"Overcoming Barriers to Medication Access"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Raffi Terzian, MD, MPH, FACEP<\/strong>
Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations, Senior Medical Director<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients who do not take medications as prescribed cost the healthcare system up to $289 billion annually<\/a>. However, there\u2019s more to the story than people just skipping doses or forgetting to pick up their refills. Oftentimes, patients face difficult challenges getting their medications \u2013 perhaps the prescription isn\u2019t covered under their plan, or even if it is covered, the cost is higher than they can pay with their deductible or co-pay. They may face hurdles physically getting to the pharmacy to pick up their medication. There has also been a wave of drug shortages of late, creating even more barriers to access. Although prescription drug access issues are not new, the combination of these all-too-common challenges is intensifying the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each year, Health Advocate gets thousands of calls from members seeking help accessing their prescription medications, and to date we\u2019ve already seen a nearly 25% jump in calls compared to this time last year. When patients can\u2019t access their medications, it leads to a drop in adherence, further exacerbating poor outcomes and increased costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employers can play an important role in helping to remove barriers around cost and coverage issues with regards to prescription medication access. Consider these strategies to support employees:<\/p>\n\n\n\n