US Drug Spending For Insured Americans Rose By 5% In 2015 Specialty Medications Rise Almost 18%, Express Scripts Says.

The AP (3/14, Johnson) reports that “spending on prescription drugs for insured Americans rose about 5 percent last year,” according to a report by Express Scripts Holding Co. The AP points out, however, that “the increase was half the rate in 2014, which saw the biggest price jump since 2003.” Express Scripts projects that drug spending to increase between 6-8% each year between 2016 and 2018.

        STAT (3/14, Silverman) reports that “most of the increased spending was for specialty medications,” which rose almost 18%, “compared with a 0.1 percent drop for traditional drugs for chronic conditions, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.” Also covering the story are Reuters (3/14, Humer) and the NPR (3/14, Kodjak) “Shots” blog.

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