What 1,007 Patients Told Us About the Prescription Experience—And What We’re Doing About It

We surveyed 1,007 patients about their prescribed medication experiences. What do they want? Personalized information and choice.

Confidence Mixed with Challenges

Many patients (47%) reported feeling confident toward managing their healthcare and prescription medications. This high level of confidence is encouraging, especially considering seven out of 10 patients reported leaving their doctor visits with prescriptions.

But confidence doesn't eliminate confusion. When it comes to the practical realities of filling prescriptions—comparing prices, understanding insurance coverage and navigating patient assistance programs—many patients don't know where to turn.

Nearly half (48%) of patients are unsure where to place their trust when it comes to finding accurate prescription information.

This gap—spanning from confidence to confusion—can leave patients feeling lost and alone when making decisions about their healthcare.

Surprise! Here’s the Cost of Your Prescription

Consider what cost-related challenges patients can encounter when they fill a prescription:

• Sticker shock: Patients may assume their insurance covers most costs, only to face unexpectedly high copays or learn their medication isn't covered at all.
• Hard-to-find discount options: Cash prices or manufacturer discount programs may be cheaper than insurance copays, but many patients never find out about these options and end up paying more.
• Pharmacy-to-pharmacy variance: The same prescription can cost different amounts at different pharmacies, but patients lack the information to make informed choices before their prescription is sent to be filled.

Only 26% reported discussing medication costs with their provider at half or more of their visits. Leaving a majority to discover prescription costs only at the pharmacy counter, when it's too late to explore alternatives without starting over. This is a familiar frustration that I know I’m not alone in.

Without a way to make an informed prescription choice, patients could either pay more than necessary, delay treatment while seeking alternatives or abandon prescriptions entirely.

Patients Empowered by Digital Tools

As a product innovator, I was pleased to see the use of digital tools to manage healthcare is gaining traction—78% say they find digital tools helpful to the average patient and most see value in provider-managed solutions.

It’s not just patients who like these tools. Nine out of 10 clinicians (87% of pharmacists and 92% of prescribers) think having a tool to let patients check prescription prices and availability would help their patient interactions.

This is where Surescripts' recently launched Script Corner^TM comes in. Script Corner will show patients personalized medication pricing, savings and pharmacy options, all before they leave their provider’s office.

Making informed decisions at the point of prescribing? That's truly informed patient empowerment.

The Prescription Experience Transformed

Prescription challenges aren't insurmountable. By addressing real-world pain points with digital tools like Script Corner, we can transform the process of filling a prescription from what can be a confusing chore into an empowering patient experience.