Patients Get Sticker Shock At Pharmacy

Two-thirds of people polled by Consumer Reports said that they have been shocked by the price of a prescription drug when they picked it up at a pharmacy.

Only 4 percent said they had talked with a doctor in advance about how much their medicine might cost.

The magazine -- famous for its testing, ratings and refusal to take advertising -- released the results in conjunction with a newly launched health ratings center and a magazine rating prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

The survey also found that about half of people have concerns about taking generic drugs, which are supposed to be chemically identical to their name-brand counterparts.

It also found that 28 percent of people have taken steps to save money on drugs that can be dangerous. Those moves include splitting a pill with a doctor's advice and skipping doses.

When done with the assistance of a physician or pharmacist, cutting a large-dose pill into smaller segments can be a way to safely cut costs.

The Consumer Reports magazine includes suggestions of medications that can be switched to generics to save. For example, someone taking Nexium once a day for heartburn would spend $215 a month. The generic form, omeprazole, costs just $15 a month, a savings of $2,400 a year.