Medication Adherence for Better Health and Cost Reductions
Listen to the NEW Community Check-In Podcast Series from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield to learn more.
Community Check-In from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) is a weekly program where local experts discuss all things health, sharing the latest info and tips to support our community in managing health and wellness. On this week’s episode, Dr. Mona Chitre speaks about medication adherence and cost reductions.
What is Medication Adherence?
Medication adherence refers to taking prescription medicine correctly as prescribed. It means avoiding actions like failing to fill a prescription, taking less than the prescribed dose, skipping doses or discontinuing medications sooner than advised. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at any given time, half of all patients are not taking their medications as prescribed.
The Importance of Medication Adherence
Practicing good medication adherence is essential to both your health and your bottom line. As Dr. Chitre describes, when you take medications as prescribed, you not only get the care you need, but also save money by avoiding additional doctor visits.
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“There is so much value in taking our medications as prescribed,” says Dr. Chitre. “If we’re not taking our medications exactly as prescribed, it could cause the medication to become completely ineffective. Often, we go back to our doctors with no results to a prescribed medication due to medication non-adherence. Then, our doctors may think our medication is simply not working, prescribing us more medications or unnecessary changes in doses.”
Saving Money on Prescription Medications
One major barrier to medication adherence is the cost of prescriptions. High costs often lead patients to skip filling their medications or rationing what they do fill in order to extend the supply. But there are options to help make medications more affordable.
If you are currently paying full price for certain prescription medications outside of your pharmacy benefit plan, you may be able to access savings by using the Inside Rx? prescription discount card. Inside Rx is a prescription savings program offered by Excellus BlueCross Blue that offers up to 80% savings on thousands of brand-name and generic medications at more than 60,000 participating pharmacies.
By visiting https://InsideRx.com/EXC, you can comparison-shop area pharmacies and download the discount card. The best part is, the Inside Rx prescription drug program is free to use for everyone. There is no enrollment fee or membership charge. It is as simple as showing the Inside Rx card at a pharmacy to gain the lowest possible pricing on your medication.