Drug prices continue to rise; Consumer Reports weighs in with some great advice uncovers why we pay so much.

Anyone who takes prescription drugs in the United States knows that they are expensive.  A number of years ago I had to buy a creme that the dermatologist prescribed and was amazed at how expensive the small vial of creme was.   Like many of you, I asked for drug samples and the problem resolved without having to renew the prescription a second time. Drug prices continue to rise much faster than the rate of inflation.

Diabetics cannot live without insulin and these prices continue to skyrocket, something that is unique to the United States.   Other drugs including generics continue to go up for no particular reason as well.

Consumer Reports looked at the phenomenon of drug prices and shows where the price increases are coming from and who is responsible.  Apparently, our healthcare system relies on middlemen who strike deals with insurers and with drug manufacturers who are also a large part of the problem.  There is no transparency in drug pricing however if you know how to get coupons from the manufacturers, you can save a bundle.

The high deductible plans are also part of the problem.  Going abroad to places such as Canada may seem like a good deal unless your drug is supplemented by an insurer who is paying the bill, in which case the non covered medications from another country may actually cost you more.

Confused?   Our healthcare system needs major reform and drugs are a major driver of high health insurance premiums.

In pain?  Seeing a chiropractor first can relieve or resolve many painful conditions without the need for drugs or risky surgeries. Patients who see a chiropractor rely on far fewer drugs and lead to healthier drug-free lifestyles. You can click here to request an appointment to find out how we can help you feel better in as little as one visit.

Check out the article by Consumer Reports below

The Shocking Rise of Prescription Drug Prices

Here’s why prices keep going up, plus how to combat the sticker shock—and still protect your health

By Lisa L. Gill November 26, 2019

Michelle Dehetre, a 48-year-old mother of five, had to pull over while driving last March and be taken to the emergency room when her blood sugar dropped too low. One reason for that dangerous decline: The Lewiston, Maine, resident had cut back on her diabetes meds, unable to afford the $300 per month that her treatment would cost, even with insurance.

And Tameka Woodard, 42, a medical assistant from Aberdeen, N.C., moved in with her mother last February so that she could afford medications for high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, and diabetes. Even with insurance, just one of her drugs costs more than $900 per month. “I have insurance, but my medications aren’t covered,” Woodard says.

Their stories are not uncommon. “High drug prices are financially toxic for American workers,” says Stacie B. Dusetzina, Ph.D., associate professor of health policy at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn., and co-author of a 2017 report on drug costs by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

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