Two-thirds of Diabetes Patients Not Controlling the Disease Adequately

According to a study published last week in the Annals of Internal Medicine there is a direct correlation between the amount of a patient's out-of-pocket co-pay and prescription abandonment. The study noted that insulin was among the drugs more likely to be abandoned. It is already a well-known fact that therapy non-compliance, already a problem before rising co-payments, is a major reason why nearly two-thirds of all patients are not adequately controlling their diabetes. And it should go without saying that poorly controlled diabetes leads to even greater costs from the co-morbidities associated with diabetes. Studies have shown that for every 1% reduction in a patient's HbA1c level their annual healthcare costs decline by approximately $1,000.According to a study published last week in the Annals of Internal Medicine there is a direct correlation between the amount of a patient's out-of-pocket co-pay and prescription abandonment. The study noted that insulin was among the drugs more likely to be abandoned. It is already a well-known fact that therapy non-compliance, already a problem before rising co-payments, is a major reason why nearly two-thirds of all patients are not adequately controlling their diabetes. And it should go without saying that poorly controlled diabetes leads to even greater costs from the co-morbidities associated with diabetes. Studies have shown that for every 1% reduction in a patient's HbA1c level their annual healthcare costs decline by approximately $1,000.