Month: January 2015

About 8% of Americans don’t take their medicines as prescribed because they can’t afford them, a new survey finds. Many also use other tactics to save on drugs, the survey found. About 15% have asked their doctors for a lower-cost alternative. Another 2% have bought prescription drugs from another country. The National Center for Health Statistics did the study. It was based on the 2013 National Health Interview. People under age 65 were almost twice as likely as older adults to skip their medicines for financial reasons (8.5% vs. 4.4%). More than 5% of those under 65 and less than 3% of older adults skipped doses or took less medicine to save money. About 7% of younger and 3% of older adults delayed filling prescriptions. Insurance coverage affected decisions. About 6% of adults under 65 who had private insurance skipped medicines to save money.

At least 78 cases of measles have now been reported in an outbreak traced to Disneyland, public health officials say. The outbreak began in the third week of December. New cases directly linked to the park are no longer being reported. But other cases have occurred in people who were infected by those exposed at the park. Orange County, where the park is, and San Diego County were the hardest hit, California health officials said. In all, 68 cases have been reported in California. The cases include 5 park employees who play costumed characters, Disney confirmed. An expert interviewed by HealthDay News said the outbreak has occurred because of an increase in the number of parents who refuse to get some or all vaccinations for their children. Some states allow these refusals on personal or religious grounds. California has some of the highest rates of refusal in the country.