Prescription drugs: U.S. prices for selected brand drugs were higher on average than prices in Australia, Canada, and France : report to the Chairman, Committee on the Budget, U.S. Senate
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Contributor(s):
- United States. Government Accountability Office. issuing body. United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Budget. issuing body.
- Publication:
- Washington, DC : United States Government Accountability Office, March 2021
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Costs and Cost Analysis Government Regulation Medicare Part D -- economics Prescription Drugs -- economics United States
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Why GAO did this study. While spending on prescription drugs continues to grow worldwide, studies indicate the U.S. spends more than other countries. However, various factors—such as country-specific pricing strategies, confidential rebates to payers, and other price concessions—may obscure the actual prices of prescription drugs. GAO was asked to review U.S. and international prescription drug prices. This report (1) examines how prices at the retail and manufacturer levels in the U.S. compare to prices in three selected comparison countries— Australia, Canada, and France, and (2) provides information on consumers’ out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs in these countries. GAO analyzed 2020 price data for a non-generalizable sample of 41 brand-name drugs among those with the highest expenditures and use in the U.S. Medicare Part D program in 2017. Twenty of these drugs had price data available in all four countries. For U.S. prices, GAO estimated the net prices paid using data from various sources, including estimates of Medicare Part D rebates and other price concessions, and commercially available data. Prices for the selected comparison countries were obtained from publicly available government sources. National prices were not available for Canada, so GAO used the prices from Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, as a proxy for Canadian prices. GAO also reviewed country-specific guidance and other relevant information and interviewed researchers, manufacturers, and government officials.
- Copyright:
- The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (iii, 59 pages))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 9918317483706676 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918317483706676