overmedication

The Cost of Overmedication

Aug 29, 2019

Pharmacy costs keep going up. If you are one of the millions of people taking prescription medication regularly, you know this well. In fact, a study by The National Health Expenditure Accounts Team found that in 2016 a staggering amount near $329 billion was spent on prescription drugs in the U.S. alone.  That number is growing year after year. There are many reasons why this amount is so high, but one simple reason seems to glare at us above the others -  overmedication. The Epidemic of Overmedication It is a known fact that the elderly are especially at risk of overmedication . Many...

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Filed Under: elder care, health coach, Health Management, healthcare coach, healthcare quality, Insider, medications, overmedication, polypharmacy, too many pills

Drug Wastage: Hospital & Outpatient

Jul 19, 2019

Drug wastage is defined as the portion of a medication bottle, syringe, or vial that is not given to a patient. Drug wastage has been found to contribute at least an additional two percent cost to total spending across all pharmaceutical lines. There are effects not only on patients due to the cost, but also to insurance companies, hospitals and other healthcare centers, and the patient’s or insured’s employers, especially when it is a smaller company. Nursing Home Drug Waste It should come as no surprise that nursing home residents consume a large amount of prescription drugs. It has been shown that 25%...

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Filed Under: elder care, healthcare quality, medications, overmedication, polypharmacy, preventive healthcare, too many pills

The Drug Waste Problem: Cancer & Specialty Drugs

Jul 12, 2019

The pharmaceutical side of oncology and other specialty drugs is a multi-billion dollar business. This is one of the highest cost segments of pharmaceuticals to patients and insurance companies, and it is one of the highest profit areas for the pharmaceutical companies. In 2016, specialty drugs made up 40% of the $450 billion pharmaceutical market, which translates into $180 billion. This staggering amount of money is bad enough in itself, but what if I told you that some of those medications that make up that $180 billion was being wasted in hospitals and other healthcare centers every single day? How Can...

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Filed Under: cancer drugs cost, cancer treatments, elder care, Health Management, high-cost drugs, medications, overmedication, polypharmacy, Specialty Drugs, understanding insurance

The High Cost of Cancer Drugs

Jul 5, 2019

Cancer strikes fear in the heart of anyone, no matter what their age. How cancer treatments affect your body can be scary, but it can also have huge financial ramifications for you and your family as well. The treatments given to combat cancer have increased the life expectancy and outcomes for many patients, but this increase comes at a cost many find difficult to bear.  The Financial Cost of Treatment Cancer drugs are continually being released and the prices are continually going up. Between 2009 and 2014, the cancer drugs that were launched were priced at $100,000 or more per patient for...

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Filed Under: cancer drugs cost, cancer treatments, high-cost drugs, insurance coverage, lower medical bills, medications, overmedication, Specialty Drugs