Prescription Drug Affordability & Unaffordability Patient Experience Project
Share YOUR WHY. Prescription drug affordability efforts in the United States are underway. Make sure YOUR experiences are part of the solutions! Visit our social media channels for polls and discussion questions, where you can share YOUR experiences!
Read the results of our first patient-led prescription drug affordability and unaffordability “why” research and join our continued efforts today so we can make sure YOUR ‘WHY’ is included in the solutions!
The problem.
In the USA, efforts to address high out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs are underway. However, patients are being asked about their prescription drug affordability and unaffordability experiences after government representatives already chose medications they think might cause patients hardships. Also, the surveys used, if any, aren’t collecting enough information to identify why a prescription drug may be affordable or unaffordable for the patient. For example:- Is it because the medication costs $250 or more a month, and if it does, why does it cost so much?
- Or is it because $10 a month is affordable, but not if the family must pay for 10 medications?
- Could it be that the insurance company will not cover the medication the doctor prescribed and so it would cost too much to fill?
- Was $50 a month affordable before becoming unemployed?
- How do financial assistance programs help? Or if they don’t help or can’t help, why?
If they don’t know the ‘why’ behind patient prescription drug affordability or unaffordability, then what problems are they solving? The promotions related to these efforts say it’s about the patient, but if they aren’t taking the time to learn our ‘why’ then who will the solutions benefit?
The solution.
If hundreds – if not 1,000’s – of patients share their experiences then we will have enough information to identify what drivers (“the why”) are causing medication access and adherence issues. We will then take the information we learn from patients and work with those working on these issues to make better, patient-driven solutions.
To include as many patient voices as possible, we will invite any and all groups representing patient voices to help identify participants for this initiative, regardless of any political or issue divides. Together we are stronger, and together we can work towards solutions that truly benefit patients.