In an expansion of its online health-care ratings, Health Grades Inc. is launching a new Web-based prescription drug information and ratings tool.
The company will offer information on 4,345 prescription drugs, including which drugs are most commonly prescribed within a class – such as antidepressants – and whether the use of a specific drug is increasing or decreasing. Consumers w also will be able to view patient-supplied ratings on the efficacy and tolerance of specific drugs as well as pricing and background information, including side effects, safety warnings and the availability of generics.
HealthGraded already provides ratings of hospitals, doctors and nursing homes in Michigan and throughout the U.S., including information on pricing for various services and procedures.
"As patients' out-of-pocket costs continue to climb, access to credible information on the cost benefit of medical treatments is imperative," said Samantha Collier, HealthGrades' chief medical officer.
Collier says one of the goals of the drug-rating tool is to assist patients in knowing how and when to talk to their doctor. Patients will also be able to print free reports detailing their findings to share with their physicians. "Patients often do not tell their physician when they are having problems with a drug; they just stop taking it or do not take it as instructed."
HealthGrades' prescription drug ratings are based on patient responses to surveys available through the site. At the moment, it says ratings are based on a relatively small number of responses from patients who participated in the testing of the site.
– By Ed Coury, senior editor and Midwest bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal Radio Network, Dow Jones & Co., and a reporter for WWJ Newsradio 950. This report contains information previously published by Dow Jones Newswires.
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