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December 9, 2015
Costs Increased More Than 1000% for Some
Dermatologic Drugs

Philadelphia—The cost for consumers to purchase topical corticosteroids increased 290% over the last 16 years, while acne and rosacea medications went up a mean of 195%, according to a new study finding that price increases for brand-name dermatologic drugs far outstripped inflation in the United States.

Even more astounding, according to the article published online by JAMA Dermatology, is that prices for topical antineoplastic drugs increased an average of 1,240% between 2009 and 2015.

Study authors from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Miami point out that, despite health reform in the United States, patients have little protection from health plans deciding to exclude coverage for expensive drugs.

For the study, the researchers surveyed prescription drug prices at four national chain pharmacies—Costco, CVS, Sam's Club, and Walgreens—in the West Palm Beach, Florida, area in 2009, 2011, 2014, and 2015. Selected for final analysis were 19 name-brand drugs, out of the 72 originally reviewed, with data available from all four surveys. Those drugs were grouped by treatment indication: acne and rosacea; psoriasis; topical corticosteroids; anti-infectives; and antineoplastics. The last group did not include systemic medications for metastatic melanoma or basal cell carcinoma because those were not available in 2009.

Results indicate that during the study’s time period, prices of all surveyed classes of brand-name dermatologic drugs increased, averaging 401%. Topical antineoplastic drugs had the greatest average absolute and percentage price tag increase of nearly $10,927 and 1,240%.

The lowest average absolute increase of $334 was found in the anti-infective class, with prices of psoriasis medications having the smallest average percentage increase of 180%.

For seven drugs, retail prices more than quadrupled during the study period, with most of those increases coming after 2011.

“The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act attempts to reduce long-term health care expenditures through a variety of mechanisms, such as preventive care, patient responsibility, and competition among health care professionals,” study authors write. “The landmark health care reform, however, has done little to curb the quickly rising price of prescription drugs and ensure that medications remain within reach for the patients who need them.”
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