Healthy Skepticism Library item: 8283

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: report

Prescription Drug Trends Fact Sheet - June 2006
Washington, DC: Kaiser Family Foundation 2006 Jun
http://www.kff.org/rxdrugs/upload/3057-05.pdf

Abstract:

This fact sheet provides updated trend data for prescription drug expenditures and the key factors that contribute to rising prescription spending: increases in utilization and prices, and changes in the types of drugs used.

The updated fact sheet shows that while spending on prescription drugs had been rising more rapidly than for other types of health care, its rate of growth has slowed somewhat recently and now is rising at about the same pace as spending for hospital and physician services.

The updated data also show that in 2005, utilization and prescription prices continue to increase faster than population growth and inflation. Also, spending on prescription drug advertising declined slightly, with the increase in advertising aimed at consumers more than offset by a decrease in advertising aimed at physicians.