Patients who take their medications as directed by doctors can reduce emergency room visits and save themselves up to $7,800 each year in health insurance costs, according to a study by CVS Caremark.
The study, published in the journal Health Affairs, analyzed the pharmacy and medical claims of 135,000 patients suffering from congestive heart failure, diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia to discover how adherence to medication affected health care costs. Researchers found that while patients who took their medications as prescribed by their doctor spent as much as $1,000 more per year on the drugs, they ultimately saved money by reducing emergency room visits and inpatient stays at hospitals.
Patients with congestive heart failure who adhered to their medication saved an average of $7,823 a year compared to patients who did not. Additional savings came to $3,908 for hypertension patients, $3,756 for diabetes, and $1,258 for dyslipidemia.
Some people with chronic illnesses have resorted to splitting pills as a way of saving money on their prescriptions. However, a recent Belgian study determined that patients who split pills may be deviating from their recommended dose by 15 percent or more, reported Medical News Today.
