Recent reports have estimated overall spending on prescription medicines in the United States to be $337 billion, in 2015. Global technology company IMS Health’s forecast of the world drug market, Global Medicines Use in 2020: Outlook and Implications, projects drug spending worldwide to reach $1.4 trillion by 2020, with U.S.-based spending totaling $560 billion - $590 billion.
Although use of lower-priced generic medications is expected to exceed 90 percent of all prescriptions dispensed in the United States over the next five years, IMS anticipates 225 new medications will be introduced to the U.S. market during this same time period. Many of these agents will be specialty pharmaceuticals, which are generally understood to be drugs that are structurally complex and often require special handling and delivery; are often administered in an office-setting; and can include complex molecules such as biologics.
Another distinguishing feature of specialty pharmaceuticals is their high prices. Previous studies have shown that specialty drugs together account for less than 2 percent of all prescriptions written; however, these drugs make up almost one-third of total spending on prescription medications. It is common for these medications to cost thousands of dollars per patient per month.
Both the current state of prescription drug pricing and the projections of continued increases in drug spending in the years ahead have prompted a variety of proposals from both federal and state lawmakers.
Although use of lower-priced generic medications is expected to exceed 90 percent of all prescriptions dispensed in the United States over the next five years, IMS anticipates 225 new medications will be introduced to the U.S. market during this same time period. Many of these agents will be specialty pharmaceuticals, which are generally understood to be drugs that are structurally complex and often require special handling and delivery; are often administered in an office-setting; and can include complex molecules such as biologics.
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Both the current state of prescription drug pricing and the projections of continued increases in drug spending in the years ahead have prompted a variety of proposals from both federal and state lawmakers.