News of deaths related to certain blood thinners and of the still-rising cost of prescription drugs may lead to more people considering alternatives like herbal supplements.

Patients who were prescribed Baxter Heparin, a blood thinner that was found to be contaminated while being produced in a Chinese factory, are being advised by at least one legal group to monitor side effects.

The company that produces the drug has had to implement new testing standards to detect outside ingredients that reportedly led to the deaths of 90.

While not everyone has dealt with contaminated or bad prescription drugs, going to your pharmacy now causes its own headache, according to a Consumer Reports article.

Their survey found that 28 percent of Americans tried to save money by taking potentially dangerous measures with pharmaceuticals such as skipping doses, using expired medication or failing to fill the prescription.

To pay, the survey found that cutting back on clothing, groceries, and even delaying other bills are all tactics used to afford their medication.

Some people have considered nutritional supplements as another option to treat and prevent illnesses, with recent studies pointing to the possible use of herbal and nutritional remedies.