[sithlord]

This. It isn't the Doctors responsibility to know all the prices of things and such, they should know what meds you need for your ailment. I would say it would be good if your doctor found out about something (via a pharmaceutical rep or another patient) to pass that along, but not sure it makes sense for them to necessarily know the ends and outs of the current best coupon.

[LazyMans]

A good doctor should be considering how to get the best outcome for a patient, availability and affordability is paramount if you intend to get a patient to follow through with a treatment. No, it's not the doctors "job" to make sure you can get your medication, but I don't think it's hard to argue a doctor that takes these things into consideration is better than one that lives in a bubble.

[zdragnar]

For run of the mill meds, my doctors haven't mentioned considering price, but for an autoimmune issue that required very expensive medication, my doctor helped me participate in a manufacturers program that covered anything my insurance wouldn't over $50 a month.

As it turned out, my insurance wouldn't cover it at all, because they wanted me to try a cheaper, older medicine that had a much worse list of potential side effects.

If it hadn't been for my doctor, I wouldn't have known about the aid program or to enroll in it (technically, it was through a separate, non-profit legal entity, but it still has the manufacturs name in it).

[karaterobot]

Sure, it would be better, but it's not relevant because you described two different jobs. In theory, the best doctor would do everything: diagnose diseases, install your dishwasher, rotate your car tires, give you a pedicure. But as it is, pharmacists are the ones whose job it is to know and give you advice about this stuff.

[Chris2048]

Should they do your taxes too?

[cpuguy83]

I disagree. A doctor better understand the economic impact the drugs they are prescribing to their patient.

[Johnny555]

Medical pricing is so hopelessly complicated that few doctors can even tell you what a procedure at they perform themselves at their own hospital will cost you. I don’t know how they could keep up with pricing for thousands of drugs interacting with formularies across hundreds of insurance plans.

[homero]

Doctors couldn't get pricing even if they wanted to.