The economic burden of prescription drug use among elderly patients in Ponce, Puerto Rico
P. R. health sci. j
;
25(2): 149-153, Jun. 2006.
Artigo
em Inglês
| LILACS
| ID: lil-472187
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To examine the economic impact of prescription drug use on the personal income of elderly individuals in Ponce, Puerto Rico.METHODS:
One-hundred elderly individuals who attend five care centers were interviewed using a four-page structured questionnaire. The interview collected information about the source and amount of income of participants, the type of insurance coverage for prescription drugs, the amount of expenditures for prescription drugs that are paid out-of-pocket and the barriers they face to use or obtain prescription drugs.RESULTS:
Participants were mostly female (69) and the average age was 77 years. The average monthly income reported was 476 dollars, 79of which was derived from Social Security. The average monthly expenditure was 364.00 dollars of which 117.00 dollars (32) was spent on health related expenditures 70.00 dollars (19) on prescription drugs, 31.00 dollars (8) on health insurance premiums, 10.00 dollars (3) on medical expenditures not related to prescription drugs, and 6.00 dollars (2) on over-the-counter drugs. The great majority reported having health insurance but one-third pay out-of-pocket for their prescription drugs. Nearly two-thirds expressed they have experienced problems to obtain or use medications in the past six months. Thirty-eight percent reported that the problem was that the cost of medications was too high.CONCLUSION:
In spite of insurance coverage, the cost of prescription drugs places a substantial economic burden on elderly individuals. On average, prescription drug expenditures comprise nearly 20of the personal expenditures of respondents, second only to groceries. This accounts for 15of their personal income. The economic burden of prescription drugs on the elderly may affect access to needed drugs and may adversely impact health outcomes.
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Índice:
LILACS (Américas)
Assunto principal:
Prescrições de Medicamentos
/
Gastos em Saúde
Tipo de estudo:
Ensaio Clínico Controlado
/
Estudos de avaliação
/
Avaliação Econômica em Saúde
/
Pesquisa qualitativa
Limite:
Idoso
/
Feminino
/
Humanos
/
Masculino
País/Região como assunto:
Caribe
/
Porto Rico
Idioma:
Inglês
Revista:
P. R. health sci. j
Assunto da revista:
Medicina
Ano de publicação:
2006
Tipo de documento:
Artigo
País de afiliação:
Porto Rico
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