Unjustified Rx Price Increases Cost American Patients & Health System Billions
Big Pharma repeatedly hikes prices on brand name drugs without making any improvements to those medications. That’s the finding of a new analysis conducted by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER). The report found that drug companies hiked prices on seven popular drugs in 2019 with no evidence that the drugs had been improved. In other words, brand name drug makers jacked up prices without adding any value.
The ICER analysis found:
At a time when Americans are grappling with the economic consequences of the pandemic, you would think Big Pharma would show some restraint. Instead, brand name drug makers continue to put profits over patients and repeatedly hike prices. Drug companies have already increased prices on more than 700 brand name drugs in the first two weeks of 2021 as part of the industry’s traditional biennial price hikes with an average price increase of over four percent.
Last summer, despite calls to suspend traditional mid-year price hikes during the pandemic, Big Pharma hiked prescription drug prices on more than 65 brand name drugs.
Big Pharma is busting profit and revenue expectations and receiving billions of dollars in research funding from taxpayers while millions of Americans are struggling. Engaging in price hikes during a pandemic, while receiving billions of dollars from taxpayers to help develop COVID-19 treatments, demonstrates why policymakers must act to hold Big Pharma accountable.
Read more on market-based solutions to hold Big Pharma accountable and lower prescription drug prices HERE.
Read the full ICER report HERE.