How to Control Rising Drug Prices
<p>Despite a recent slowdown in spending for prescription drugs, the growth rate in drug spending in the United States is still expected to be 70 percent faster than growth in the nation’s gross domestic product over the next decade. Research shows that rising drug prices are the biggest driver of drug spending. </p><p>The good news is there are policy options that could help get prices under control. These include promoting “high value” drugs that provide the most clinical benefit; increasing competition among drugmakers; and cracking down on the misuse of patent protections that block generics.</p>
<p>Over the next three days, we’ll be tweeting highlights from recent Commonwealth Fund publications that describe the reasons for high prices as well as a range of potential solutions. These include <em><a href="/publications/fund-reports/2017/jul/getting-root-high-prescription-drug-prices-drivers-and-potential">Getting to the Root of High Prescription Drug Prices: Drivers and Solutions</a></em> by Henry Waxman and colleagues, and a recent series of three <em></em><a href="/blog/2018/policy-prescriptions-high-drug-costs-experts-weigh"><em>Health Affairs</em> papers</a> on policy prescriptions for high drug prices.</p>