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For many patients, financial difficulty may be a sensitive issue and a topic they do not readily
approach. Sometimes you can lead up to a conversation about costs by first asking the right questions.
For example, find out whether or not your patient takes his or her medications as scheduled. Patients may
skip or stretch a prescription if they are trying to avoid the high costs. Whether or not they refill
their prescriptions on time can also be a clue. If your patient is on several different medications, it
may be useful to quickly go through them as you discuss the patient's different symptoms or illnesses, in
order to determine whether any medications can be safely discontinued.
If you suspect that your patient may be burdened by prescription costs, ask them if they'd like to
save money on their prescription costs, and discuss possible ways you might be able to help.
Further reading:
Helping patients understand health care costs
Article from On Call Magazine, April 2007.
Helping patients understand health care costs
Article from On Call Magazine, April 2007.
