Featured blog post: Do doctors understand patient costs?

Last week, I went to the optometrist for my annual checkup. I expected to get a new prescription for glasses and contacts. I didn’t expect a prescription for eye drops for my allergies. My doctor asked if I had been experiencing itchiness in my eyes, and I mentioned for the last week or so, I had. “How thoughtful of the eye doctor to ask,” I thought. He prescribed an olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution.

When I went to pharmacy to fill the prescription, I was shocked to find that the medicine, not covered by my insurance, costs more than $100; I had been using inexpensive over-the-counter eye drops. Had my doctor known how expensive the medicine he prescribed actually was? Why would he suggest them? Do doctors, in general, understand the costs of drugs, labs, and other services?

Maybe not. A new study finds that hospitalists are unaware of the actual costs of care to inpatients, according to “Hospitalists’ awareness of patient charges associated with inpatient care,” published in the May/June issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine. To read more of this blog post, visit MedicalStaffLeader.com.