COLUMBUS, Ohio — A study from researchers with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine found that “out-of-pocket costs continue to increase for patients who must buy commonly prescribed drugs to treat…five neurological diseases.”

The diseases in question, according to a Wexner press release, were:

• Epilepsy
• Multiple sclerosis
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease

The researchers looked at thousands of patients with these diseases from 2012 to 2021.

“We found that the out-of-pocket costs for MS medications increased each year, by 217% on average,” study first author Amanda Gusovsky said in the release.

The study found the largest out-of-pocket cost increase came with multiple sclerosis drugs. In 2021, the average cost was $2,378/year. That’s a sharp increase from the 2012 cost of $750/year.

“Earlier studies have shown that when patients can’t afford their medications, they are faced with the decision to either skip eating or skip taking the medications as often as prescribed, leading to other medical problems later,” the release reads.

The study also looked at the difference in cost for branded versus generic epilepsy medication. They note significant cost reductions in medication after generic brands were introduced.

“We saw striking cost declines in medications with generic introductions,” study senior author Dr. James Burke, a neurologist and professor of neurology at Ohio State, said in the release. “Our findings emphasize why it’s so important for neurologists to be aware generics and biosimilars for cost control and to maximize affordability, particularly for patients in high deductible health care plans.”

The study was published in Neurology.