Report Projects Slower Rising Drug Costs for 2013 Based on Past Years

Even though medication costs will continue to rise in 2013 by as much as four percent, the increase is expected to be less than in previous years — that’s according to a study that appears in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, the journal of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).

The report, “Projecting Future Drug Expenditures in U.S. Non-Federal Hospitals and Clinics — 2013,” examines drug expenditure trends in 2011 and 2012, projects drug expenditures for 2013, and considers factors likely to influence drug expenditures. Based on a variety of data, including new drug approvals and patent expirations, the authors project a 1-3 percent increase in drug expenditures across all settings, a 2-4 percent increase in expenditures for clinic-administered drugs, and a 1.5 percent increase in hospital drug expenditures for 2013. For more information, click here to read the full release.