Last week, Express Scripts released its 2017 Drug Trend Report. (Free download.) Consider it an early Valentine's Day present for pharma wonks like your friendly neighborhood blogger.
The latest data confirm the slowdown in drug spending. For 2017, drug spending increased by only 1.5% for Express Scripts’ commercial plan sponsors. What’s more, drug spending declined for nearly half of commercial payers. Medicare, Medicaid, and exchange plans also saw very modest increases. Below, I dive deep into the data on cost and utilization growth.
By now, there can be no debate that pharmacy benefit costs are growing more slowly than every other major part of the healthcare system. Yet the false narrative that drug spending is “out of control” persists.
Based on exclusive data that Express Scripts shared with me, most people paid relatively little in out-of-pocket costs for their prescriptions. But some people spent a lot. I’m sure many patients would gladly say “be mine” to benefit designs that share the discounts being absorbed by employers and insurers.
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