Over the past month, several new medications have become available in their generic form. The two we are looking at today include Aricept (donepezil) and Xyzal (levocetirizine). Aricept, generic name donepezil, is a medication used to treat dementia. It is used primarily for those patients who have active Alzheimer’s Disease. It can improve mental function and help fight memory loss. Xyzal, generic name levocetirizine, is a non-sedating antihistamine and is used to treat seasonal allergies. It can provide relief from itching, watery eyes, and hay fever type symptoms. Both of these medications are available in generic form, and could provide you a big break on your co-pay, coinsurance, or out of pocket cash pricing. Be sure to ask your pharmacist about these options, and as always, feel free to contact one of the pharmacists at Rx Savings Solutions!
As a follow up to the article posted two weeks ago on our blog, “Why 31% of people never fill the prescriptions they are given,” this week we are going to take a look at the fact that 24% of people who fill their prescription take less than the prescribed amount. This percentage is directly proportionate to the cost of the medication and the patients ability to pay. By taking less, consumers are in essence trying to stretch their dollars and feel less of a financial burden. Each year, non-compliance to prescription medication costs the American economy thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars. Two week’s ago, we talked about the large percentage of patients not filling their medications. This weeks focus is on those that take the initiative to fill the prescription, but then make decisions that … Continue reading
There are a variety of contributing factors to discuss with fact that 31% of prescriptions written by doctors and nurses are never filled. A few of these factors include access to a pharmacy, disbelief in the prescribers prognosis, a false sense that nothing is wrong because they don’t show symptoms, and the cost of the medications themselves. The highlighted reason for today’s discussion has to do with the costs associated with the medicines. In 2009, Americans filled 3.68 billion prescriptions. This is a very large number, but whats most concerning is the additional 1.2 billion prescriptions that weren’t filled. Non-compliance to the doctors orders is estimated to cost the lives of 125,000 people not to mention almost $300 billion in additional medical costs annually. These stats are overwhelming to fully comprehend, and the root cause often to blame goes … Continue reading
For many years the idea of allowing prescription medications to be imported from other countries has been in the news as a potential solution to the ever increasing costs for American consumers. As the push for healthcare reform takes center stage over the next few weeks, it may resurface and be presented as a solution once again. But there is more than meets the eye in this debate! Lets take a look at a couple of considerations. Many people often wonder why the same prescription drug sold in many foreign countries can be so much cheaper than it is when bought in the United States. There are a few reasons, but the major reason is due to the process it must go through in the U.S. to get approval by the Food and Drug Administration. To quickly many consumers give this a bad … Continue reading
