The rising costs of drugs is covered in this piece offering some thoughtful insights into the rising costs that exceed inflation rates (2014 projected to increase by 6%) and the jaw dropping costs for some chronic conditions that top tens of thousands of dollars per year The solutions and underlying problems are not clear and even though it appears clear we pay more for our drugs in the US many of the attempts to reign in these costs are “dead on arrival”. Better data on the costs, the benefits and some method to analyze the two together from multiple perspectives not just the hospital or insurer but also the patient need to be developed. Some of this ventures into difficult territory that has seen plenty of push back and wild claims but ultimately for everybody there is a limited pot of money to treat everyone from. This is true no matter the health system we live in and it is essential we find a pathway through this morass and one that includes a civilized factual debate on cost and benefit.
Tagged as Economics
February 3, 2025
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May 6, 2024
