Effects of user charges on the use of prescription medicines in different socio-economic groups.

This study examined the sensitivity towards increases in user charges for different types of drugs and among different socio-economic groups. It was based on responses by 2008 consumers of prescription drugs to a self-administered postal questionnaire sent to a random sample of 8000 inhabitants in Uppsala County in Sweden. The questionnaire included a question about whether the respondents would use fewer prescription drugs if the user charges increased by a specific amount. The increase in user charges was varied between 9 and 150% in five different subsamples. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the probability that a respondent would reduce consumption of prescription drugs as a function of the size of the user charges increase, socio-economic characteristics and the type of drug used. Results showed that the price sensitivity decreased with increasing age, income, education and self-rated health status. Price sensitivity was highest for antitussives and lowest for climacteric drugs. If the user charges doubled, 40% of antitussives users would reduce their consumption whereas only 11% of climacteric drugs users would reduce their consumption. It is concluded that sensitivity to increases in user charges varied greatly between different types of drugs and between socio-economic groups. The young, those with poor health status, low education and low income are most likely to decrease consumption of prescription drugs when user charges increase.