Image Source: iStock.com/Creativeye99
We all like saving money, but is it worth saving a buck if it puts your health at risk?
Today, more than ever, we are seeing an increase in the number of High Deductible Health Plans. These plans position consumers to assume more of their healthcare costs—especially the cost of their prescription drugs, until their deductible is met.
For this reason, we’re seeing more patients seeking lower-costing alternatives outside of their insurance plan, such as $4 generics or the use of copay coupons.
The New York Times reports that up to 10 percent of drug transactions – or 400 million prescriptions each year – could fall into this category. Don’t misunderstand, paying a Lower price is always appealing, but there are risks consumers need to understand.
Let’s look at an example:
Let’s say you normally fill all your prescriptions at one pharmacy, but decide to go to another pharmacy to take advantage of a lower price without using your insurance. The pharmacist won’t have access to other medications you are taking and won’t be able to assist you in identifying potentially dangerous drug interactions.
The Tria Health clinical team sees this situation happening too often. This also applies when patients are taking drug samples from their doctor.
At Tria Health, our pharmacists are consulting with patients about ALL their medications. By talking individually with patients, the Tria pharmacist can confirm claims data as well as uncover additional medications not paid through insurance in order to develop the best care plan for our patients and avoid drug therapy problems.
Are your members at risk of harmful drug interactions?