Help Available To Some Struggling To Pay For Prescriptions

Pharmacists in Charlotte told Channel 9 they're seeing a concerning trend: patients who need brand-name prescription drugs are either not filling their prescriptions or not filling them on schedule because they can't afford it. Bill Henning, the manager of Giant Genie Pharmacy, said he’s seeing more and more customers who leave their prescriptions unfilled because of tight budgets.

“You know, 70 to 80 percent compliance, or people filling their medications on time every month, is considered great,” he said. “What we're seeing is probably around 40 or 50.” Henning said people with expensive prescriptions that have no generic substitute are more likely to skip refills.

“(They) maybe just get half of their prescription, like a 15-day supply instead of a 30-day supply," he said. “Pill cutting -- they'll cut the tablet in half and try to extend it out one, two, three months.”

That tends to happen more around this time of year, when many Medicare Part D customers fall into what's called the “doughnut hole” and their drug costs go way up. The doughnut hole refers to a gap in Medicare Part D coverage that occurs when total prescription costs are between $2,700 and $6,154. Until those customers get out of that hole, they have to pay 100 percent of the cost of their prescription drugs.

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State will change pharmacy rule over morning-after pill

The state Board of Pharmacy voted Thursday to change a controversial rule that allows pharmacists to refuse giving a patient medication for conscientious reasons. The vote does not actually change the rule. Rather it launches a months-long process to revise the rule, which took effect in 2007 and quickly became mired in litigation over the dispensing of Plan B, or the morning-after pill.

Before Thursday's vote, the board held two packed public hearings and received more than 5,000 comments. Department of Health spokesman Donn Moyer said most commenters opposed changing the rule. So did Gov. Chris Gregoire and Health Secretary Mary Selecky.

"The current rule strikes the correct balance between patient access to medication and valid reasons why a pharmacist might not fill a prescription," Selecky wrote the board on Wednesday.

"The rule has served patient safety well in Washington over the three years it's been in place." But the board, an independent body appointed by the governor, believed the rule needed improvement and clarity, Moyer said.

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Reducing the cost of prescription drugs

More insurance companies are forcing consumers into health savings accounts or high deductible insurance plans. With these plans consumers foot more of the bill, but Dr. David Kuentz of MetroHealth says his patients are not shopping around to find the cheapest medicine.

"It’s a bit more inconvenient. Patients have to go around from one pharmacy to the next but it certainly helps them save money," Kuentz said. Angie's List found less than 10 percent of people in its poll do comparison shopping even though it can save you big bucks.

“One Angie's List member even reported that she found that one of the drugs she took on a monthly basis varied at pharmacies by more than $75," Angie Hicks of Angie’s List explained. Shop a variety of stores including warehouse clubs, chain drugstores, grocery stores, and discount box stores.

Also, call your insurance company and see if you can save with a 90-day mail order prescription. "Ask about generic medications. Ask them for recommendations to help you save money on those prescription drugs," Hicks said.

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