Women with diabetes more likely than men to not take meds as prescribed

(HealthDay)—Women with diagnosed diabetes are more likely than men to not take their medications as prescribed, according to an August data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.

Robin A. Cohen, Ph.D., and Amy E. Cha, Ph.D., M.P.H., from the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, used data from the National Health Interview Survey to examine the percentage of adults aged 18 years and older with diagnosed diabetes who reported use of selected strategies to reduce their prescription drug costs.

The researchers found that among adults with diabetes, women were more likely than men to not take their medication as prescribed (14.9 versus 11.6 percent). Younger adults (<65 years) with diagnosed diabetes were more likely than older adults (≥65 years) to not take their medication as prescribed (17.9 versus 7.2 percent) and to ask for a lower-cost medication (26.3 versus 21.9 percent). The highest percentage of adults aged 18 to 64 years who did not take their medication as prescribed or who asked for a lower-cost medication was seen among those who were uninsured. The lowest percentage of adults aged 65 years and older with diagnosed diabetes who asked their doctor for a lower-cost medication was seen among those with Medicare and Medicaid coverage.

"The burden associated with high prescription drug costs remains a public health concern for adults with diagnosed diabetes," the authors write.

Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved.