The Wall St. Journal’s Kristen Gerencher takes a look at the high cost of side effects, including adding $290 billion a year to medical costs through poor adherence to needed medication.
The article quotes Marvin Lipman, chief medical adviser for Consumer Reports in Yonkers, N.Y. “The doctor and patient have to work together to make the patient as comfortable as possible and have the drug do its work.”
The article suggests a number steps patients can take to “minimize a drug’s physical and monetary side effects,” including asking questions, looking for alternatives and educating one’s doctor about insurance options.