Comment on As prescription drug prices soar, Florida residents, doctors and pharmacists share tips for lowering costs

With Florida ranking fourth in the nation for prescription medication spending, residents are scrambling to find innovative ways to reduce their costs. Last year, prices increases for more than 4,200 drugs with an average hike of about 15%, according to Definitive Healthcare, a healthcare data analytics company.  Floridians living with cancer, prediabetes or diabetes, and heart disease incur some of the highest out-of-pocket costs for medications. Most Floridians are quick to admit drugs developed over the past 20 years have improved their lives, but the costs make it difficult for some to keep taking those life-saving drugs. Research shows when consumers encounter shocking prices at the pharmacy counter, they often walk away without their prescription. “Drug costs ranked higher as a concern for our members than housing costs, and that says a lot in Florida,” said Jeff Johnson, state director of AARP Florida.