PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS AS A REASON FOR CHANGING PHYSICIANS

The authors conducted a telephone survey of 200 patients who had recen tly transferred their health care to a Veterans Affairs (VA) medical c enter. of the study patients, 56% considered prescription drug costs t o be the main reason or a major contributing reason for transfer (95% confidence interval 49% to 63%). The mean out-of-pocket prescription d rug cost for these patients was $139 per month, compared with $47 per month for patients for whom drug costs were a minor reason or not a re ason at all (p < 0.001). Drug costs are a principal reason for patient s to transfer their health care to the VA.