In a blog posted here on May 16, 2023 I discussed the phasing out of the January 2020 Federal Government COVID-19 public health emergency. At that time The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continued to authorize the COVID-19 antiviral drug nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) for emergency use. It has since been fully approved for adults with Covid at high risk of hospitalization or death, such as older adults and those with medical conditions like diabetes, asthma, and obesity. The government continued to provide Paxlovid at no cost to patients until November 1, 2023. Insurance companies will now be able to charge for […]
Tag: Prescriptions
Talk About Your Medicines To Make Sense of Your Meds
October has been observed as Talk About Your Medicines Month (TAYMM) for over 35 years. Started by the BeMedWise Program at NeedyMeds, the awareness month is an annual opportunity to spotlight safe medicine use with the goal of improved health outcomes. This year’s theme is Understanding Medicine Labels – Making sense of your meds. Confusion about when and how much of a medicine can take can make treatments less effective, cause serious side effects or drug interactions, and negatively affect adherence. Our goal is to empower patients to maximize the benefits while minimizing the risks of the medications they are […]
The Importance of Medication Adherence, and How to Ensure Compliance
We have had various blog posts about the importance of medication adherence. The subject remains important as researchers find 20-30% of prescriptions are never filled and half of all people do not follow their drug instructions. With a wide variety of factors contributing to patients not following through a treatment as directed, it can have a serious impact on one’s health and finances. People have many reasons for medication non-adherence. Confusion can be a factor, whether in relation to multiple prescriptions or unclear doctor’s orders. Other patients don’t take medicine to avoid side effects. Cost is an obvious factor […]
Skipping Prescriptions Due to Costs
A new study from the National Center for Health Statistics has found that 8% of Americans don’t take their medicines as prescribed because they cannot afford them. Nearly 20% of prescriptions never get filled. Approximately 15% of respondents reported asking their doctors for a lower-cost alternative, and 2% admitted to having bought prescription drugs from another country. With 82% of Americans being prescribed at least one prescription medication, the numbers can become alarming for anyone. In previous blog posts we have discussed the lengths people will go to save money, such as spending less ongroceries or entertainment, relying more […]
Another Way to Save on Medication Costs
Past blogs have discussed various ways to save on medication costs – pharmaceutical patient assistance programs, drug discount coupons, drug discount card, etc. Let me tell you about another way you may be able to cut your medication costs. At NeedyMeds we receive calls from people who can’t afford their medications. Most are taking just a few drugs, but a significant number are taking 10 or more drugs – sometimes 20 or more drugs. According to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report 82% of American adults take at least one medication and 29% take five or more […]