Drug Prices
New analysis finds inpatient hospital drug costs increased more than 38% per admission between 2013 and 2015.
A group financed by the pharmaceutical industry is hosting a meeting today on the 340B Drug Pricing Program with the goal of 鈥淧reserving the True Safety Net.鈥 But what the meeting really will be about is the pharmaceutical industry 鈥 with their skyrocketing prescription drug prices and huge profits鈥
A recent article in the New York Times highlights the yet-to-be-fulfilled promises made by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International to the U.S. Congress. Valeant had said it would give hospitals discounts of as much as 30 percent on two of its expensive heart drugs. But those discounts never鈥
Unchecked drug price increases hit both patients and hospitals hard. Since 2008, brand name drugs prices have increased 127 percent compared with an 11 percent rise in consumer prices. These increases cut deep into both hospital budgets and services and undermine patient and community health,鈥
A recent proposal that calls for reducing the benefits of the 340B Drug Pricing Program to curb rapidly rising prescription drug costs is 鈥渕isguided,鈥 writes AHA Executive Vice President Tom Nickels in an AHASTAT blog post today.
The rapidly rising costs of prescription drugs is causing significant financial challenges for patients and their care providers.
Many groups, including the AHA, are evaluating options for addressing this important issue. However, one recent proposal, which is seriously misguided, would reduce a鈥
Today鈥檚 New York Times provides arguments from drug companies justifying the excessive jump in pharmaceutical prices in recent years, saying the higher prices won鈥檛 impact patients.
A Senate committee this week put the spotlight on the wave of increases in the cost of medications. While those truly innovative medicines that save lives and ease suffering are certainly valued by all, the committee鈥檚 hearing focused on some of the more troubling of the pharmaceutical industry鈥檚鈥
More than 20 years ago, Congress created the 340B Drug Pricing Program to allow eligible hospitals and health systems to stretch limited resources and expand access to care for vulnerable patients. But despite a proven track record of increasing patient access to vital medical services and鈥