Decreasing Prescription Copays Increases Adherence

Lowering copayments for prescription drugs encourages patients to remain on recommended medication therapies for chronic conditions, according to a recent study. The one year investigation, “The Impact of Decreasing Copayments on Medication Adherence in the Context of a Disease Management Program,” was co-funded by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). It examined the impact of decreasing copayments for medicines used to treat several chronic diseases. The study focused on the employees of a leading service industry company, and indicates that by reducing copayment rates for generic medications from $5 to $0 and halving the amounts for branded drugs, there was a statistically significant improvement in adherence to treatment for heart disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Infrequent use of a medication regimen is a serious problem, GSK reports, and can result in substantial worsening of a disease and overall health care costs.

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