Member Satisfaction Related to Self-Reported Cost Share and Difficulty in Obtaining Prescription Drugs in a University Pharmacy Benefit Plan

BACKGROUND: Designs, prior authorization, step therapy, quantity limits are commonly used to optimize the efficiency and appropriateness of drug therapy. However, these tools may also lead to unfavorable humanistic outcomes, including confusion or annoyance for patients. There is also some concern about whether these tools, along with the cost-sharing burden for medications, may cause patients to discontinue using their medications as well as lead to dissatisfaction with pharmacy benefits. Although anecdotal evidence can be collected from customer complaints, few studies have systematically examined the extent to which prescription drug plan enrollees experience difficulties in obtaining medications and whether these difficulties are associated with their satisfaction with the drug plan. OBJECTIVES: To determine from a member satisfaction survey (1) perception of difficulties experienced by drug plan members when they tried to obtain prescription medications, (2) whether some segments of members experienc...