More than 80 percent of Americans are concerned about the costs associated with prescription drug prices, according to a national poll commissioned by CVS. So, the pharmacy set out to do something about it.
CVS Health has made it a point to fight back against high drug prices by launching an app, the CVS Pharmacy Rx Savings Finder, that will allow pharmacists to “evaluate quickly and seamlessly individual prescription savings opportunities right at the pharmacy counter,” according to a press release.
In other words, CVS pharmacists will be able to easily access ways that you could be saving on your prescriptions based on the types of drugs you’re buying, your insurance plan and more.
“Until now, patients haven’t had the appropriate tools available to them to help them manage these costs. To address this, CVS Health is giving expanded tools to patients, prescribers and pharmacists so they can evaluate prescription drug coverage in real-time and identify lower-cost alternatives,” Thomas Moriarty, CVS’s chief policy and external affairs officer, said in a press release.
They’ve decided to do this because they’ve noticed a pattern: those who struggle to manage payments of medication are less likely to follow their prescribed regimen, which could ultimately harm their health.
“Our direct experience is that patients who are confronted with high out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy counter are less likely to pick up their prescriptions and are less likely to be adherent to their prescribed therapy,” Kevin Hourican, CVS executive vice president of retail pharmacy, said in the press release.
Other Ways You Can Save On Prescription Drugs
There are already some websites that will help you find cheaper costs on your prescriptions such as GoodRX and Blink Health, but having this tool available right at the pharmacy check-out counter would make the process of price hunting more convenient for the customer.
CVS isn’t the only pharmacy working to help save you money, either. Walgreens, for example, has a Prescription Savings Club that offers savings on brand-name and generic medications as well as other Walgreens products.
Thankfully, it seems as though pharmaceutical companies are working to help their customers save on their medications, so hopefully this will encourage or even force drug companies to lower prices of prescription drugs.
In the meantime — CVS and others are here to help save you some money to get you the medicine you need.
Augusta Statz holds a B.F.A. in Writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She's an avid writer with a genuine sense of curiosity. She feels the best way to absorb the world around you is through fashion, art and food, so that’s what she spends most of her time writing about. More.
