Twenty-nine percent of patients reported not taking their medication as prescribed in the last year because of cost, according to a new poll released by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The foundation's Health Tracking Poll was conducted Feb. 14-24. The sample included 1,440 adults ages 18 and older in the U.S.
Five key findings:
1. One in four adults said it is "difficult" to afford their prescription drugs.
2. Twenty-nine percent of adults reported not taking their medication as prescribed in the last year because of cost, and 8 percent said their condition got worse because they did not take the drug as recommended.
3. Seventy-nine percent of respondents said that the cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. is "unreasonable," despite 59 percent agreeing that prescription drugs made lives better.
4. Most respondents, 80 percent, said that profits made by pharma companies are a major factor in the price of prescription drugs.
5. The majority of the public is in favor of proposals to control prescription drug prices. Eighty-eight percent favor making it easier for generics to enter the market; 86 percent favor allowing the government to negotiate with drug companies and 80 percent favor letting Americans buy imported drugs from Canada.
Read the full report here.