Soaring prescription costs leave numerous Americans stranded financially

In a recent survey by GoodRx Research, the affordability of prescription medications continues to pose a substantial challenge for American households. The findings reveal that cost barriers have led to non-adherence, changes in medication management, and the use of unconventional methods to make medications more affordable.

1. **Cost Barriers to Medication Access**

The survey shows that approximately 27% of Americans reported not filling prescriptions due to financial constraints, indicating a rise from 15% in 2024[1]. Furthermore, by 2025, 42% of respondents made changes to their medication management due to cost, including delaying refills, rationing medications, and stopping medication entirely[2].

2. **Creative Solutions for Affordability**

In an effort to make medications more affordable, 75% of respondents used at least one nontraditional resource, such as discount programs (43%) and free samples from clinicians (40%)[2]. Some individuals took riskier measures, including replacing prescriptions with over-the-counter medications, using medications prescribed for others, or purchasing drugs from other countries[2].

3. **Perceived Burden**

A significant majority, 67% of Americans who filled prescriptions, described the cost of their medication as a burden[5].

These findings underscore that cost remains a substantial barrier to medication adherence, forcing many Americans to seek unconventional methods to afford their prescriptions.

- In 2025, 75% of people used at least one nontraditional resource to afford their medications, up from 70% in 2024. - In 2025, 46% of Americans reported taking action that could negatively impact their lifestyle or personal finances to pay for prescriptions, up from 37% in 2024. - 12.9% of people replaced their prescriptions with over-the-counter medications or supplements in 2025. - More than a third of Americans (38%) said they used a prescription discount card or coupon this year. - 5.9% of people purchased medications from another country in 2025. - In 2025, 38% of people reported worrying about being able to afford their medications, up significantly from 27% in 2024.

These statistics illustrate the ongoing struggle for American households to afford prescription medications, with many resorting to creative and sometimes risky solutions. It is crucial for policymakers and healthcare providers to address this issue to ensure that patients can access the medications they need without financial hardship.

In the realm of science and workplace wellness, chronic-diseases such as chronic-kidney-disease, type-2-diabetes, and cancer remain a significant concern.
The survey also highlighted the impact of medical-conditions on personal-finance, particularly the financial burden related to chronic-diseases and respiratory-conditions like asthma.
The affordability of therapies-and-treatments for these diseases can significantly impact a person's cardiovascular-health and overall health-and-wellness.
Digestive-health concerns, such as irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease, also pose financial challenges due to expensive medications and procedures.
Eye-health issues like glaucoma and macular degeneration can also strain personal finances, requiring regular check-ups and treatments.
Hearing aids can be costly, posing challenges for individuals dealing with hearing impairments, raising concerns about medical-costs and personal-finance.
Nutrition plays a crucial role in maintaining health and personal-finance, as the cost of healthy foods can sometimes be prohibitive, especially for those with chronic-diseases.
Regular visits to healthcare providers and eye specialists for check-ups and routine care can add up, making them an overlooked expense in personal-finance management.
Mental-health issues like depression and anxiety are increasingly common, and the cost of therapies and medications can be burdensome, particularly for those without health insurance or significant debt-management issues.
In the world of autoimmune-disorders, diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus can require expensive therapies and treatments, impacting both health-and-wellness and personal-finance.
Taking charge of one's wellness, through practices like mindfulness and fitness-and-exercise, can have a positive impact on personal-finance by improving overall health, reducing healthcare costs, and boosting productivity at work.
Personal-finance education, goal-setting, budgeting, learning new skills, and career-development are all key components of personal growth and wealth-management.
Considering the financial implications of health conditions, it is essential to prioritize health-and-wellness, and healthcare costs in personal-finance planning.
A financially secure individual can more easily afford necessary treatments for chronic-diseases and the expenses associated with taking care of skin-conditions or undergoing wealth-management strategies like saving, investing, and debt-management.
Wrapping up prescription medications and setting up automatic refills can help manage healthcare costs, reducing the need for affordable alternatives like over-the-counter medications or supplements.
Employing a holistic approach to health and financial wellness can lead to improved productivity and jobatisfaction, facilitating career-development and opportunities for further learning and skills-training.
In the pursuit of job-search and career-development, it is essential to account for unexpected medical expenses arising from health-and-wellness concerns that could impact personal-finance and, consequently, one's ability to save and manage debt.
Ultimately, addressing the financial burden of medical costs through measures like healthcare reform and Medicare can help alleviate the stress and hardship faced by many Americans struggling with the growing challenges of health and personal-finance.
By focusing on wellness, education, goal-setting, and personal-growth, individuals can create a more balanced and secure future, improving both their health-and-wellness and personal-finance.