Perspective               

Prescription Drug Spending Rises Almost 19 Percent

Prescription drugs are the most common form of treatment in health care today. If you are an older or disabled American with arthritis, diabetes, high cholesterol, or other illness, chances are you are taking prescription drugs to treat or manage your condition. But as the popularity of prescription drugs in America is rising, so is the spending. A new study shows that spending on prescription drugs shot up almost 19 percent last year to $131.9 billion.

Experts believe that several factors have contributed to this increase in retail spending on medications. Today, doctors are prescribing a higher number of prescriptions for their patients and patients are using more expensive drugs. Prescription drug costs are also rising-the average price for one of the 50 top-selling medications today is $67.15. In addition, drug companies are marketing more aggressively to consumers and doctors.

This trend is likely to increase political pressure for new government benefits to help older adults and people with disabilities buy prescription drugs, but it also shows how costly such a reform could be. Democrats argue that President Bush's proposed spending of $153 billion on drugs benefits and general Medicare reforms over the next ten years is not enough to provide Americans with comprehensive and affordable prescription drug coverage.

Alan Holmer, president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, says the report confirms what many patients have discovered for themselves, that "prescription medicines are the best value in health care today, allowing patients to stay out of the hospital, off the surgery table, on the job and in the home."

If you have health care concerns or problems, talk to your doctor about your prescription drug options so that you can stay out of the hospital and live comfortably at home. If you already have prescription drugs and need help paying for them, call you State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP, and ask about any programs that help people with Medicare pay for their medications. The number is listed in Medicare & You.

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