A 2021 CDC study found that 8.2% of Americans aged 18 to 64 skipped, delayed or reduced the amount of their prescription medications because of cost concerns. The National Health Interview Survey revealed that to reduce expenses, 9.2 million adults were not taking medication as prescribed. According to the report, about 60% of adults age 18 and older took at least one prescription medication, with 36% taking three or more. Out-of-pocket costs on retail drugs rose 4.8% to $63 billion. Since high costs limit many Americans’ ability to take their medications as prescribed, these patients may require additional treatment. 6 prescription drug cost key takeaways While this study was conducted in 2021, key takeaways are still applicable today due to rising prescription drug costs. Consider the following findings: Women (9.1%) were likelier than men (7%) not to take medication as prescribed. The percentage of adults not taking medication as prescribed due to cost varied by race and origin: n