5.6%
2019 (latest)
COULDN'T AFFORD PRESCRIPTIONS
percent of people who did not get needed prescription drugs in the past 12 months because of cost · 1997–2019 · lower is better · CDC/NCHS Health, United States (National Health Interview Survey), via Data Query System
4.8%
1997
8.4%
high · 2009
4.2%
low · 1998
+0.8 pts
since 1997
┊ dashed lines mark 2001 Dot-com bust & 9/11 · 2008 Global financial crisis
Method & caveats. NHIS, all ages, crude percent, as published in Health, United States. The series ENDS AT 2019: the NHIS questionnaire was redesigned that year and NCHS has not carried this item forward on the new basis. The closest replacement item, asked of adults 18+ since 2019 ("did not take medication as prescribed to save money"), runs 2019 9.6%, 2020 8.3%, 2021 6.8%, 2022 6.8%, 2023 7.8%, 2024 7.8% — a different question, shown here in the note rather than spliced onto the chart.
Sources
Every value on this page is read from the publisher below. Current and historical source documents:
- https://data.cdc.gov/d/p4r5-qsgs
- https://data.cdc.gov/d/dmzy-x2ad
- https://data.cdc.gov/d/gj3i-hsbz
- https://github.com/danielmiessler/substrate/tree/main/Data/US-Societal-Health
Data
| Year | Couldn't Afford Prescriptions | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 5.6% | +0.3 pts |
| 2018 | 5.3% | +0.2 pts |
| 2017 | 5.1% | +0.0 pts |
| 2016 | 5.1% | −0.1 pts |
| 2015 | 5.2% | −0.4 pts |
| 2014 | 5.6% | −0.8 pts |
| 2013 | 6.4% | −0.4 pts |
| 2012 | 6.8% | −0.9 pts |
| 2011 | 7.7% | −0.6 pts |
| 2010 | 8.3% | −0.1 pts |
| 2009 | 8.4% | +0.4 pts |
| 2008 | 8.0% | +0.8 pts |
| 2007 | 7.2% | +0.2 pts |
| 2006 | 7.0% | −0.2 pts |
| 2005 | 7.2% | +0.1 pts |
| 2004 | 7.1% | +0.8 pts |
| 2003 | 6.3% | +0.3 pts |
| 2002 | 6.0% | +0.4 pts |
| 2001 | 5.6% | +0.5 pts |
| 2000 | 5.1% | +0.7 pts |
| 1999 | 4.4% | +0.2 pts |
| 1998 | 4.2% | −0.6 pts |
| 1997 | 4.8% | — |
Also in Health