Survey reveals nearly half of consumers face prescription cost barriers

A recent white paper examined consumer perspectives on prescription drug pricing, access, and affordability in the US.

Produced by RazorMetrics, a healthcare tech company, the results from a survey were published in a white paper titled, “State of Drug Access 2025.” The survey revealed that 42% of consumers said they were prescribed medications they couldn’t afford in the past year, with more than 11% abandoning their medication entirely due to cost. Over 16% said they leave prescriptions unfilled or ration their medication.

“Prescription affordability isn’t just a problem for patients. It’s becoming a public crisis,” said Siva Mohan, MD, president and chief medical officer at RazorMetrics.

The survey also found that price sensitivity is widespread, with 84% of respondents experiencing “sticker shock” at prescription prices below $250, “including a large proportion who react to prices under $100.”

System complexity emerged as a major barrier throughout the findings. Over half, or 53.1%, of respondents find it confusing to understand what they’ll pay for medications, while 47.7% struggle to navigate the fragmented landscape of healthcare apps, discount websites, and savings options.

Trust in prescribers remains strong

Meanwhile, the survey identified physicians are key allies in helping to address these problems, with nearly half of patients, or 47.2%, turning to their doctors first when facing high medication costs, far outpacing calls to insurers or use of discount tools. “Members overwhelmingly trust their doctors to guide cost decisions,” the white paper stated.

According to the survey, 90% would welcome their doctor switching them to less expensive alternatives, and 85.5% want prescribers to automatically select the lowest-cost medication when clinically appropriate.

According to the white paper, “the sample included people with diverse backgrounds from age, employment, income, gender, and education. In total, 28 questions, both closed- and open-ended, were used to identify patterns and pain points relevant to member experiences and outcomes.” A spokesperson for RazorMetrics confirmed that 1,000 adults (18 years and older) were surveyed.