Web sites advocate pill-splitting to cut drug costs

Pharmaceutical companies have reacted with alarm to advice being givenon Internet web sites, including DestinationRx.com and Rxaminer.com, that patients and doctors should consider cutting pills in half to save on drug costs, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The advice takes advantage of pharmaceutical company practice to use the same price for a range of different strengths of a product, so that the cost is not a factor when doctors make dosing decisions.

Giving an example, the WSJ notes that Pfizer's Viagra costs $8.20 for a 50mg pill, the same as for 100mg, so patients requiring the lower dose can halve the cost of each treatment. The pharmaceutical industry contends, however, that the practice sets a dangerous precedent, as certain medications - such as capsules or extended-release formulations - cannot be cut in half without the risk of compromising their efficacy.