Pill Splitting Debated as an Antidote to Cost

This pill splitting article was actually written by Bill Brubaker of the Washington Post. He starts off by saying that roughly 10 million Viagra tablets are sold each month in the United States. The cost of 10 Viagra tablets in 50-milligram doses costs $105. A pack of 100-milligram Viagra tablets also costs $105. So it makes economic sense for someone prescribed the lesser dose to buy the higher-dose pills and cut them in half.

As the practice of pill splitting has grown in recent years, so has the debate on whether it is something that should be promoted or discouraged.

Some insurance companies and health organizations think it is a bad idea and a patient-safety issue. Other organizations including HMO's and the Department of Veterans Affairs endorse the practice for some medications in order to save money and reduce premiums. And of course, drug companies don't like the idea at all as they lose money any time a pill is cut in half.

The original article has been taken off line and is no longer available.