96% of Physicians Report Patients Stop Medications Due to Cost Without Disclosing the Change, New Report Finds

2026 Physician Drug Cost Survey from RazorMetrics highlights cost-driven nonadherence, widespread administrative burden, and physicians' readiness to act on lower-cost options

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- RazorMetrics, a leading innovator in pharmacy technology solutions, today released its 2026 Physician Drug Cost Survey, revealing a significant disconnect between prescription costs and patient care. Nearly all physicians surveyed (96%) reported having patients stop taking a medication because of cost without telling them, and 95% said they are comfortable switching patients to lower-cost, clinically appropriate alternatives. Based on responses from more than 100 U.S. physicians, the findings show how prescription affordability can disrupt treatment and create additional burdens for physician practices.

"Adherence to prescribed medications is vital to patient outcomes, yet our survey shows that affordability is regularly affecting treatment plans," said Siva Mohan, MD, co-founder, president and chief medical officer of RazorMetrics. "As a physician, I'm grateful to those who shared their experiences and demonstrated that providers are ready to help patients access lower-cost medications. Giving physicians patient-specific options within existing workflows allows them to act earlier without adding administrative burden or leaving patients to navigate affordability on their own."

RazorMetrics' consumer survey, the 2026 State of Drug Access released March 10, found that nearly 84% of insured patients want providers to automatically select lower-cost options. Similarly, the 2026 Physician Drug Cost Survey findings show that providers are prepared to address that affordability issue, but often lack timely, patient-specific information.

The newest survey explores four areas that shape how physicians manage prescription affordability, including physicians' willingness to switch patients to lower-cost medications, the administrative burden of resolving prescription affordability issues, medication-list visibility and barriers to deprescribing, and how payer and PBM outreach can better support prescribers.

Key findings include:

• 84% of practices field five or more patient calls each week about high-cost prescriptions.
• 66% of physicians report that they or their staff spend at least five hours resolving medication cost issues after a prescription is written, with nearly 20% spending 10 – 20 hours per week.
• 72% spend five or more hours each week on prior authorization approvals alone, with nearly 36% of those surveyed reporting they spend 10 or more hours per week on prior authorization approvals.
• Existing tools and outreach do not always turn willingness into action. Nearly two-thirds of physicians have had a poor experience with real-time benefit tools or have never encountered one. Nearly half of prescribers said fewer workflow interruptions would make outreach more useful.

"Physician-reported data on drug affordability is often missing from the conversation, even though physicians are the ones fielding the calls, changing prescriptions, and managing the fallout when patients stop treatment," said Tom Dorsett, CEO and co-founder of RazorMetrics. "Listening to both sides of the prescription gives health plans, employers, and PBMs a clearer view of where the process breaks down and what it will take to make lower-cost options easier to act on. These results reinforce the focus RazorMetrics has had since its inception: giving physicians timely, patient-specific savings opportunities they can review and approve to overcome cost barriers."

With 49% of physicians calling for fewer workflow interruptions and nearly 37% seeking direct patient benefit data, the findings underscore the need to deliver timely, patient-specific cost information within existing clinical workflows—and at scale. The results also provide context for RazorMetrics' recent announcement that its provider network now reaches nearly 1.7 million unique prescribers, expanding its ability to put lower-cost medication options in front of physicians at the right time.

"Physicians, patients and payers all want to address affordability while advancing patient outcomes," continued Mohan. "Solutions that integrate into existing workflows and identify lower-cost options are critical to achieving meaningful savings."

The survey follows a period of continued growth and national recognition for RazorMetrics, recently ranking No. 72 on the 2026 Inc. 5000, placing in the top 2% overall, and has also been recognized by Deloitte, MedTech Breakthrough, and the American Business Awards. Its technology delivers lower-cost, clinically appropriate alternatives within existing workflows, with physicians retaining approval over medication changes and confirmed savings opportunities extending across their patient panels.

To read the full Physician Drug Cost Survey 2026 white paper, visit razormetrics.com/physician-drug-cost-survey-2026/. RazorMetrics will also compare key physician and patient findings during its live webinar, "Two Surveys. One Undeniable Gap" on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at noon ET/11 a.m. CT.

To learn more about RazorMetrics' pharmacy cost containment solutions, visit www.razormetrics.com.

About RazorMetrics

RazorMetrics builds pharmacy cost containment technology that finds and captures savings automatically. Its proprietary platform initiates medication switching, deprescription, and deduplication in real time, adapting to each client's plan, preferences, and formulary. RazorMetrics plugs directly into prescribers' existing workflows, putting medical decisions where they belong: in physicians' hands. Based in Austin, Texas, RazorMetrics serves self-funded employers, health plans, PBMs, and other organizations, bringing clarity, efficiency, and greater value to pharmacy benefits. Learn more at www.razormetrics.com.

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SOURCE RazorMetrics