Controlling Drug Expenditures: A Report of Success Controlling drug expenditures is based on a study done to determine whether a multi-interventional program can limit the high prescription drug cost while still maintaining the utilization of needed medication. The method used to determine the outcome included the mandatory splitting of drugs implemented in phases, quantity limits, and formal changes. The short term effects were assessed after the interventions by comparing generic medication use and name brand drug spending before the benefit changes and after. The long term effects were monitored by the examination of changes in a plan wide use of generic medications over a period of time and by comparing projected spending estimates with the overall spending. Before the policy changes and after, the effects on the utilization of pain medications were assessed by the participant’s use of certain prescription chronic medications. The study’s results came back as a positive one that can possibly give prescription medication users hope for lower cost in the future. In a three-year period the participants saved $6.6 million dollars. Reclassification of select brand-name drugs to non-preferred status attributed to most of the cost saved in this study. The introduction of pill splitting also had a significant impact while placing a limit on quantities of selective medications had the least impact. After reading this article it is believed that prescription medications can successfully manage the cost of prescription medications in the future.
The Increasing Time Cost and Copayments for Prescription Drugs: An Analysis of Policy Changes in a Complex Environment The Increasing Time Cost and Copayments for Prescription Drugs is an article based on a study conducted that estimates the effects of policy changes within the Medicaid program of North Carolina. These policy changes included reduced prescription lengths from 100