Pharmacy costs continue to rise year after year. This trend is driven by increasing production and distribution costs from manufacturers, higher utilization of specialty drugs for managing chronic conditions and more patients regularly using the health system compared to a few years ago.1 Unfortunately, no matter the cause, rising drug prices have real consequences: 1 in 3 Americans surveyed said they have difficulty affording their prescription medications.1
And while new specialty drugs and therapies have the potential to improve health outcomes, many of them are unsustainably expensive. According to one report, specialty medications make up less than 2% of overall pharmacy volume, yet account for more than 60% of total pharmacy spending.2