The trend: Consumers are becoming more proactive prescription drug price shoppers and comparing costs across sources, according to a new Model N survey of 1,000 US adults ages 25+.

• 40% are more likely than a year ago to check a prescription’s price before pickup, versus just 6% who are less likely to do so.
• 72% have used at least one method to check prices, most commonly calling a local pharmacy (35%), using a price comparison site or app like GoodRx (25%), or checking with an insurer (24%).
• 17% have compared prices across multiple pharmacies.

Driving the trend: What consumers pay for the same medication can change from one fill to the next due to the complex and often variable pricing system.

Formulary changes, unmet insurance deductibles, and pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) pricing structures tied to high list prices can all alter out-of-pocket costs. It’s unsurprising to see more consumers look up prices before reaching the pharmacy counter given how much prescription costs can fluctuate, especially as a growing number of online tools are making it easier to compare costs.

Why it matters: Even though consumers are checking prescription prices more often, many have still faced unexpected costs. In Model N’s survey, 24% said their last prescription cost more at the pharmacy than expected, versus 8% who said it was lower. And only 24% said they always know what a prescription will cost before reaching the pharmacy.

Pricing uncertainty can lead patients to delay, abandon, or take less of their medications, per Model N.

• 23% of consumers said not knowing the cost of their prescription upfront led them to delay picking it up.
• 17% said this uncertainty caused them to leave the pharmacy without filling their prescription.
• 7% even skipped doses or stretched out their medication to make it last longer.

Healthcare providers are a key resource for patients when prescription costs are unclear or too high.

• 20% of consumers said cost ambiguity led them to ask their doctor for another medication.
• 24% said the expected price ultimately resulted in a different prescription.
• Another 16% each asked about alternative treatments or ways to lower the cost of the prescribed drug.

Implications for pharma brands: Drugmakers can’t necessarily control a patient’s final pharmacy price, but they can help reduce uncertainty around it. This includes making estimated out-of-pocket costs and coverage information available directly within prescribing workflows, so clinicians and patients have a better sense of what a medication will cost before the prescription reaches the pharmacy. Drugmakers can also make copay cards, patient assistance programs, and other affordability options easier for patients and clinicians to find and understand. And they can give HCPs clearer resources for discussing costs and coverage with patients, including what options are available when a drug is poorly covered.