WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Seventy percent of Americans surveyed expressed concern about the high cost of prescription medications for themselves or individuals in their household, and 65 percent of respondents were in favor of allowing the safe importation of medications from verified, licensed international pharmacies, according to new data released by the Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation (CPPI), a nonprofit patient advocacy organization.
The newly released national survey, conducted earlier this year by Morning Consult on behalf of CPPI, also found that nearly one in three (30 percent) respondents, or someone in their household, did not fill a prescription due to cost. Additionally, one in four (25 percent) skipped doses, split pills, or took similar actions because of the cost of filling a prescription. These survey results provide timely insight into consumer sentiment and practices surrounding high drug costs on the heels of increased scrutiny of drug prices by consumers, media, and elected officials in the U.S.
“We know that millions of patients facing ever-increasing medication costs often choose not to adhere to their prescription regimens. This is an unacceptable choice resulting in serious health consequences for patients and leading to increased costs for the healthcare system and taxpayers,” said Rebecca Kelley, executive director of CPPI. “Alternatively, importing prescription medications from safe, verified pharmacies in Canada provides a lifeline to those in need of affordable life-saving and health maintenance medications.”
Tens of millions of Americans – especially seniors and others living on fixed incomes – struggle to afford prescription medications in the U.S. According to an April 2016 report issued by IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, total spending on medicines in the U.S. reached $310 billion in 2015 on an estimated net price basis, up 8.5 percent from the previous year. The savings from branded medicines facing generic competition were relatively low in 2015, and specialty drug spending reached $121 billion on a net price basis, up more than 15 percent from 2014.
“The exorbitantly high cost of prescription medications is an ongoing, serious health crisis for millions of Americans,” said Kelley. “The recent situation surrounding the price increase of the EpiPen® is just one of many examples. Our survey findings underscore what the more recent EpiPen® backlash also demonstrated – that Americans are desperate for relief, and want the government to act. While we’re glad to see Congress and others putting forth options to address absurdly high drug prices, most proposals will take years to implement, if they move forward at all. On the other hand, Congress can provide relief today by allowing importation of personal-use medications from credentialed, verified Canadian pharmacies.”
To learn more about personal prescription importation and how to join CPPI, visit www.personalimportation.org.
* Poll Methodology: Morning Consult conducted an online poll from March 18-21 among a national sample of 2001 registered voters. Data was weighted to approximate a target sample of registered voters based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, region, annual household income, home ownership status and marital status.
About the Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation
The Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation (CPPI) is a national nonprofit patient advocacy organization that advocates for Americans’ access to safe, affordable prescription medications from Canada for personal use. Tens of millions of Americans – especially the elderly and others on fixed incomes – struggle to pay the extremely high price of prescription medications in the U.S. We are here to be their voice. For more information on CPPI, www.personalimportation.org.
