A new study found that 15 percent of U.S. adults skip their medications due to the high cost and lack of cheaper alternatives.
According to the survey results released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday, 9 percent of people below age 65 choose to skip taking medicines in order to save money compared to 4.4 percent of people aged 65 and above, HealthDay News reported.
The survey asked the participants of the 2013 National Health Interview to list reasons for skipping medications. Eight percent admitted that the high costs of the medications discouraged them from purchasing drugs. Insurance plays a major role in the statistics, as only 6 percent of people with private insurance buy medicine compared to 10 percent of those with Medicaid and 14 percent of uninsured patients.
Income is expected to be a factor as well because those considered to be the "poorest," or belonging to the below 139 percent of the poverty level, are most likely to skip medications.
Those who are willing to follow their prescriptions try to play it smart. Two percent ordered medicines outside the country while 4 percent chose alternative therapies to minimize cost.
"These people are skipping doses, taking less medication or delaying filling prescriptions," said report author Robin Cohen, a health statistician at CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
The CDC researchers warned that ignoring the prescriptions of doctors can lead to more hospitalizations and emergency room visits. There are also high chances of the illness becoming worse.
Further details of the study titled "Strategies Used by Adults to Reduce Their Prescription Drug Costs: United States" are available at the CDC website.
