Study: Countries with Single-Payer Systems Spend Less on Prescription Drugs

A study led by former Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellow Steven G. Morgan compared prescription drug expenditures in 10 countries with universal health care coverage—finding that differences in prices and drug choices, not the volume of drugs purchased, are the main drivers of spending variation. The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (June 12), also found that those countries with single-payer health systems are the most successful in keeping down costs.