RCHC Community Project Abstracts

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The Rising Cost of Medications. What's a physician to do?
Date of project: 2/11/2002

This preliminary survey sought to establish whether insurance coverage excluded financial strain due to medication costs among patients at the Cascade Medical Clinics in Redmond, Oregon. The design is a cross-sectional study involving patients 18 years and older who were seen in clinic between March 7,8, and 11th, 2002. A survey which included name, DOB, insurance, type of drug coverage, and whether or not medication costs have ever caused the patient financial strain was distributed to patients in the lobby and returned at the fron desk. During the three-day period, 100 surveys were returned. Fourteen surveys were excluded based on age (less than 18 years old), or missing answers. Of the 76 valid surveys, 66% of patients reported having some form of pharmaceutical coverage. Of the 66%, 42% reported having significant financial strain due to medication costs despite insurance. This report discusses the rising concern of pharmaceutical costs, and what every physician should be doing to help control these costs.

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