A new report from healthcare technology company RxUtility, titled “2025 Medication Affordability Benchmark Report,” reveals that 98 million prescriptions are abandoned annually by patients due to unexpected high costs, underscoring a significant price transparency challenge in the healthcare system.
Miriam Paramore, CEO and Founder of RxUtility, a healthcare technology company focused on medication affordability through real-time copay assistance and pricing transparency, stated that the healthcare system has a “price transparency problem.” Paramore noted, “Patients walk away from the pharmacy counter because no one has shown them the real price or the real savings. When we embed price transparency and copay assistance solutions into everyday workflows, people stop abandoning their prescriptions because they finally know the lowest price.”
The report highlights how the lack of drug price transparency affects individuals managing chronic and complex conditions. For instance, asthma patients, who collectively incur over $5 billion in annual medication expenses, frequently face difficulties affording critical specialty treatments like Dupixent. This biologic, primarily used for eczema, can cost between $3,300 and $5,000 per month without financial aid; however, with a manufacturer copay program, eligible patients could see their costs reduced to as little as $0.
RxUtility identified 1,298 manufacturer copay programs, including 1,012 for drugs without generic equivalents, which collectively offer $30 billion in consumer savings each year. Despite the availability of these savings, a substantial portion does not reach patients. The report indicates that 93 percent of these copay offers remain unused, amounting to $27.9 billion in missed savings annually.
Amidst rising financial barriers, the report notes that patients are increasingly resorting to cost-saving behaviors such as dose-skipping and pill-splitting. Other findings from the report include that 60 percent of prescriptions with copays exceeding $500 are abandoned, specialty drug costs have risen by over 23 percent, and copay coupons typically cover an average of 85 percent of a drug’s cost. Additionally, cash pricing has emerged as an alternative, now accounting for 8-12 percent of specialty prescriptions.
Paramore emphasized the role of technology in addressing these issues. “Real-time technology that connects prescribing, dispensing and medication adherence systems is poised to transform drug affordability in 2026 by surfacing copay savings, and ensuring patients see their options before they ever face the counter,” she said.
RxUtility’s AI-powered platform is designed to connect providers, pharmacists, employers, payers, and digital health partners with real-time copay assistance. By embedding prescription affordability and transparency into these technical workflows, RxUtility aims to minimize patient payment confusion, improve medication adherence, and ensure equitable access to prescription drugs.
