High drug prices are creating a hidden administrative burden for physicians, RazorMetrics survey finds

# What the survey covered

# Numbers that change daily practice

• 84% of practices receive at least five patient calls per week about prescription costs.
• 96% of physicians said they have had a patient stop taking a medication because of cost without informing the clinician.
• 42% of respondents said their practices manage more than 30 prior authorization requests per week.
• 72% reported spending at least five hours per week on prior authorization approvals.
• 53% spend three or more hours weekly on step-therapy compliance.
• Two-thirds indicated they spend at least five hours per week handling prescription cost issues after the prescription has been written.

RazorMetrics also references its 2026 State of Drug Access Survey showing that 42.6% of patients were prescribed a drug too expensive to fill in the prior 12 months, and 75% of insured consumers experienced sticker shock for drugs under $250.

# What physicians are doing now Physicians are largely willing to take on clinically appropriate substitutions to reduce cost for patients. The survey reports:

• 95% of respondents are comfortable switching patients to lower-cost alternatives when clinically appropriate.
• 58% say they already routinely offer those savings opportunities to other patients taking the same medication.

Despite willingness, clinicians face operational friction: time spent on authorizations and step therapy, frequent patient outreach, and hidden nonadherence when patients stop medications without telling their prescribers.

# Workflow barriers and payer/PBM outreach

The report also notes skepticism about existing reform promises: a May 2026 American Medical Association survey found only 33% of physicians agreed recent prior authorization reform efforts would meaningfully reduce administrative burden, care delays, and patient harm.

# What this means for solutions Two practical takeaways for any organization building or implementing cost-containment solutions:

• Timing and delivery matter. Clinicians will act on affordability information if it arrives at a point in the workflow that doesn't add cognitive or administrative burden.
• Make savings patient-specific and actionable. Directly showing how much a substitution or alternative will save a particular patient makes it easier for clinicians to make adjustments without extra calls or follow-up work.

Solutions that reduce interruptions, automate administrative steps, and integrate patient-level cost data into prescribing workflows are more likely to change prescribing behavior and reduce downstream adherence problems.

# Bottom line High drug prices are shifting work onto physicians and clinic staff in the form of calls, hidden nonadherence, and extensive prior-authorization work. Physicians are willing to use lower-cost options when appropriate, but they need cost insights delivered in ways that reduce — not add to — administrative burden. The RazorMetrics survey is a self-reported, voluntary snapshot of 104 physicians and highlights where workflow improvements could align clinician willingness with patient affordability.