Spending on drugs has decreased in the United States and it is the first time in the last 55 years, that is, since this data began to be calculated. This was revealed by a report by the IMS Institute of Healthcare Informatics made public last Thursday, which provides the figure for total expenditure: 325.8 billion dollars in 2012, with a decrease of 1% compared to the previous year. The decrease in the per capita figure was greater, dropping by 3.5% to 898 dollars. Second Michael Kleinrock, director of the IMS, this is not a surprise and, after years in which the expenditure for the purchase of drugs was growing more slowly than the overall health costs, it was expected that the curve would outline a downward path. The phenomenon is registered on the eve of the Affordable care act, the government provision adopted to improve access to health insurance, which will come into force next year. The main reason for the reduction in healthcare spending has been identified in the expiry of the patents of some very popular drugs and the consequent availability on the market of equivalents at reduced prices. According to analysts, this factor contributed to the drop in overall spending by $28.9 billion. The Fitch ratings agency estimates that brand-name drugs will lose more than $70 billion in earnings between the second half of 2011 and the end of 2015. In addition, hospital admissions have decreased and the seasonal flu in early 2012 was relatively light, but rising health care costs and economic turmoil have also caused many Americans to save money on doctor visits. This behavior can be counterproductive, Kleinrock notes, linking it to a 5.8% increase in emergency department visits. Overall, the report confirms that US health care spending remains primarily focused on a relatively small number of patients, those suffering from cancer and other serious illnesses or chronic conditions.
13 May 2013 – Pharmacist33
