Rx Price Watch Report: Brand Name Prescription Drug Prices Continue to...

Rx Price Watch Report Trends in Retail Prices of Specialty Prescription Drugs Widely Used by Older Americans 2006 to 2015

(Video) Era of Consistent Generic Drug Price Decreases May Be Ending: PPI Expert Leigh Purvis provides an update on Rx PriceWatch Reports produced by the AARP Public Policy Institute.

Latest Report

September 2017: Trends in Retail Prices of Specialty Prescription Drugs Widely Used by Older Americans 2006 to 2015 (PDF) One-Pager September 2017: Trends in Retail Prices of Generic Prescription Drugs Widely Used by Older Americans, 2006 to 2015 (PDF) One-Pager The latest Rx Price Watch report by Leigh Purvis and Dr. Stephen W. Schondelmeyer finds that retail prices for widely used specialty prescription drugs increased, on average, between 2006 and 2015. In 2015, retail prices for 101 widely used specialty prescription drugs increased by an average of 9.6 percent—the highest average annual increase since at least 2006. In contrast, the general inflation rate was 0.1 percent over the same period. Increases in the retail price of specialty prescription drugs have a corresponding impact on the cost of drug therapy for the individual and for all other payers. In 2015, the average annual retail cost of prescription drug therapy for one specialty drug, based on the market basket in this study, was $52,486 per year. This average annual cost was slightly lower than the median US household income ($55,775). It was also more than twice the median income for Medicare beneficiaries ($25,150) and more than three and a half times higher than the average Social Security retirement benefit ($16,101) over the same time period. Until recently, relatively few patients have used specialty drugs. However, there are strong indications that a much larger share of the population will use specialty prescription drugs in the future. If recent trends in specialty drug prices and related price increases continue unabated, an increasing number of older Americans will be unable to afford necessary specialty medications. Such developments will lead to poorer health outcomes and higher health care costs in the future. These AARP Public Policy Institute reports are a continuation of our that has been tracking manufacturer price changes for widely used prescription drugs since 2004. The Rx Price Watch reports utilize retail prices - or the amount charged to consumers (and/or insurers) - as our primary data source. The reports are based on drugs widely used by older Americans. For more information, please contact the AARP Public Policy Institute at (202) 434-3890. Previous Reports

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