Newly released data from the CDC shows more than 9 million U.S. adults who were taking at least one prescription medication in 2021 reported skipping doses, taking smaller doses or delaying refills because of cost.
That represented about 8.2 percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 65 who were taking prescribed medication that year. The survey findings also showed women were more likely than men to not take medication as prescribed.
Two more findings:
- About 20 percent of adults with disabilities took measures to ration medications because of cost, compared to about 7 percent of those who did not have a disability.
- Uninsured adults were more likely to not take medication as prescribed compared to those with coverage.
"Cost-saving strategies such as skipping doses, taking reduced doses, and delaying filling a prescription may make health conditions worse, result in more serious illness, and require additional expensive treatment, and therefore have implications for health and the costs of care," the report said.