You take your sick child to the doctor. An exam is done, a diagnosis made, a prescription written, and instructions given to the parent. The next step: a trip to the pharmacy to have the prescription filled so the child can start the medicine as soon as possible. Right? Why, then, did a recent study reveal that up to 25% of children’s prescriptions remain unfilled?
Investigators are currently examining whether electronic prescriptions are filled more often (because the patient does not have the opportunity to lose or misplace it), or if, in fact a written prescription serves as a tangible reminder to go to the pharmacy to get the prescription filled.
Other researchers are looking at the rate of prescriptions being filled as a result of a well-child visit versus that of a sick-child visit. Some early findings are showing that prescriptions given at sick-child visits are filled more often than those given at well-child visits.
For the uninsured and underinsured, the costs of prescription medications can be daunting. Even for those who have health insurance, co-pays and deductibles mean that many still struggle to afford the costs of their medications. Yet not taking medication as prescribed can also lead to emergency room visits, hospitalizations and other medical interventions that are even more costly.
Safety net resources may be available for those who are unable to afford the costs of their medications. In a future blog entry, we will introduce those to our readers.
