U.S. Rx Drug Spending To Increase Nearly 12% This Year
U.S. drug spending will increase by 11.7%, to up to $385 billion, in 2014, according to an IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics report. The report attributes the increase to fewer patent expirations in 2014 than in previous years, expanded access to medication under the Affordable Care Act and costly hepatitis C and cancer treatments.
- "Costly Hepatitis C Treatments Help Drive 12% Drug Spending Jump" (Rabin, Kaiser Health News, 11/20).
- "Drug Spending Tops $1 Trillion on Hepatitis C, Cancer Therapies: Study" (Hummer, Reuters, 11/20).