Article: UnitedHealth and pill splitting; how its clients can save money

November 23, 2005 (From Consumer Affairs Magazine)

At least one health insurer is encouraging its clients to cut their prescription pills in half as a way of saving money on copayments. The Wall Street Journal said UnitedHealth Group is offering patients up to $300 in annual prescription copayment savings.

To qualify, patients must buy pills at twice the prescribed dose and cut them in half. Because of the way prescription drugs are manufactured and priced, many pills cost the same regardless of their dosage.

The practice of pill splitting isn't new. It has long been used by uninsured patients, and a number of devices have been developed to make the process easier and more precise.

The drug industry has criticized the practice as unsafe, saying patients might not get the exact dose they need and some pills will not function if cut in half.

In addition, some critics express concern that pill splitting might be too difficult for elderly or disabled patients.

UnitedHealth said its program requires patients to get permission from a doctor to split pills in order to prevent patients with dementia or other health conditions that could prevent accurate pill splitting from engaging in the practice, the Journal said.

Additionally, only certain categories of pills that have been shown in published studies or other research to be safe to split qualify for the program, according to a UnitedHealth spokesperson.