When prescription drugs are excessively priced, it can have far-reaching consequences for patients and the health care system. Many Americans struggle to afford prescription medications, and high costs frequently limit patients’ adherence to essential treatments. Research from PORTAL has been critical for documenting when drug prices are too high and the consequences of high drug spending for patients.
Research Areas We Explore:
- Drug Pricing Trends: Documenting the characteristics of high prescription drug costs in the US, including launch prices, year-over-year price increases, spending trends by payer, and why US drug prices exceed those in other industrialized nations.
- Pharmaceutical Supply Chain: How the pharmaceutical supply chain shapes incentives that promote higher costs, including the role of pharmacy benefit managers and confidential rebates, as well as the causes and consequences of drug shortages.
- Insurance Design and Cost-Sharing: How the design of prescription drug benefits affects patients’ out-of-pocket costs and medication adherence, and the availability and impact of non-insurance strategies patients use to afford their medications, including manufacturer coupons and direct-to-consumer online pharmacies.
- Value Assessment: How health technology assessment methods and cost-effectiveness analysis can help align drug prices with clinical benefit, and the innovative payment models developed to address spending on high-cost, high-value therapies.
- Patient Access and Public Programs: The consequences of high drug costs for coverage and medication access in Medicare and Medicaid, including reforms to Medicare drug price negotiation, the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, and the 340B Drug Discount Program, as well as the critical role of pharmacies in patients’ access to medications.
