More evidence that patients are cutting back on their health care spending. Again, as in the previous post, patients are cutting back on very effective medicine (statins to lower cholesterol) as well as medicine of marginal benefit (Alzheimer disease medications). Interestingly, a focus of this article is patients choosing to cut back on Lipitor. Lipitor, for a 3o day supply of 10mg, costs $86 (Drugstore.com). Simvastatin, 20mg, which is of equal equivalence, costs $28 per month (Drugstore.com) or $4 per month (Walmart, Walgreens, and others). There is a better way clinically to get more value from our drug spend. The question is whether patients with "skin in the game" end up getting higher value, or just have preventable heart attacks and strokes.
