Strategies Used by Adults With Diagnosed Diabetes to Reduce Their Prescription Drug Costs, 2017-2018

Abstract

In 2018, 10.1% of adults aged 18 and over had diagnosed diabetes (1). The majority of those with diabetes take medication for this condition (2). Compared with those without diabetes, adults with diagnosed diabetes experience higher out-of-pocket costs for prescription medications (3) and cost-related, medication nonadherence behaviors (4). Adults have used several strategies to reduce the costs of prescription drugs, including not taking medication as prescribed and asking their doctor for a lower-cost medication (5). This report examines the percentage of adults aged 18 and over with diagnosed diabetes who used these selected strategies to reduce their prescription drug costs.