Americans' Access to Prescription Drugs Stabilizes, 2007-2010

Originally published as Tracking Report No. 27 by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC). HSC was a nonpartisan policy research organization funded principally by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Americans' Access to Prescription Drugs Stabilizes, 2007-2010

After years of growing concern about prescription drug affordability, access to medications stabilized between 2007 and 2010, according to data from HSC's Community Tracking Study. The share of Americans reporting problems affording their prescription drugs leveled off during this period, breaking a pattern of steady increases observed earlier in the decade. While this plateau was welcome news, significant affordability challenges persisted for certain vulnerable populations, including the uninsured, lower-income adults, and those managing multiple chronic conditions.

Drug Affordability Problems Level Off

The survey found that the proportion of adults who reported not filling a prescription, skipping doses, or cutting pills in half because of cost did not increase significantly between 2007 and 2010. This contrasted with the period from 2001 to 2007, when such problems had grown measurably. Several factors likely contributed to the stabilization. The widespread availability of generic medications expanded significantly during this period, with major brand-name drugs losing patent protection and generic versions entering the market at substantially lower prices. Retail pharmacy programs offering 30-day supplies of common generics for $4 also improved affordability for many consumers. Additionally, Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit that began in 2006, continued to provide coverage to millions of previously uninsured seniors.

Improvements for Uninsured and Dually Eligible Seniors

Two groups showed notable improvement in prescription drug access during the study period. Uninsured adults reported somewhat fewer drug affordability problems, likely benefiting from the growing availability of low-cost generic programs at retail pharmacies. Dually eligible seniors -- those enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid -- also showed improvement, potentially reflecting the maturation of Medicare Part D and better coordination between the two programs in covering prescription costs. These gains were meaningful because both groups had historically experienced among the highest rates of drug access problems.

Persistent Challenges for Low-Income and Sicker Populations

Despite the overall stabilization, prescription drug access problems remained stubbornly high among certain groups. Low-income adults, those with multiple chronic conditions, and people taking multiple medications continued to report elevated rates of cost-related nonadherence. These populations often needed specialty medications or complex drug regimens for which generic alternatives were unavailable, leaving them exposed to high out-of-pocket costs. The research highlighted an ongoing tension in the pharmaceutical market: while generic drugs were becoming more affordable and accessible, the prices of brand-name specialty drugs were rising rapidly, creating a bifurcated affordability picture.

Sources and Further Reading

This Tracking Report was based on data from the Community Tracking Study Household Survey, which collected information from a nationally representative sample of Americans. The survey was conducted by the Center for Studying Health System Change with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Comparison data from earlier survey rounds (2001, 2003, and 2007) provided the trend context.