National Health Spending In 2007: Slower Drug Spending Contributes To Lowest Rate Of Overall Growth Since 1998

Abstract

H e a lt h c a r e s p e n d i n g i n t h e u n i t e d s tat e s grew 6.1 percent to $2.2 trillion, or $7,421 per person, in 2007 (Exhibits 1 and 2). The health spending share of gross domestic product (GDP) reached 16.2 percentan increase over the 16.0 percent share in 2006. This paper presents national health expenditure (NHE) estimates through 2007, with a focus on recent trends in the health care goods and services purchased, the sources of funds used to pay for those purchases, and the sponsors of U.S. health care spending. The NHE estimates measure the total annual spending for health care goods and services in the United States as well as spending for program administration; the net cost of private health insurance; government public health; and the amount invested in 2 4 6 J a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 9 D a t a W a t c h

Pharmacy Students Teaching Prescribers Strategies to Lower Prescription Drug Costs for Underserved Patients

“…In addition, the issue of cost-related nonadherence is not routinely addressed during patient encounters. 4,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] This study demonstrated that a single lecture given by pharmacy students to other health care professional students and current prescribers can improve knowledge of prescription drug cost-containment strategies targeting vulnerable patient populations and can increase the likelihood of collaboration between prescribers and pharmacists. While future studies should determine if this intervention changes clinical practice and reduces patients' actual OOP prescription drug costs, these results show that this lecture format is an efficient way to disseminate important and timely information to health care professionals as they begin to practice in the new health care delivery models outlined in health care reform.…”

“…6 Even if the provider is aware of the prescription costs, the skill of helping patients manage OOP prescription drug costs is not consistently taught in health professional educational programs and is not routinely addressed during patient encounters. 4,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] While a more informed, cost-conscious health care workforce is one step toward improvement in patient adherence with prescription drug therapy, recent health policy legislation is changing the way the health care workforce engages patients. Medical institutions have attempted to keep pace so that future health care providers are prepared and can effectively adapt to the evolving changes in health policy.…”

Financiamento da assistência farmacêutica no sistema único de saúde

“…In Canada, spending per capita with prescribed oral ingestion solids increased 10% yearly in most provinces from 1998 to 2004, faster than the economic growth for the same period (Morgan, 2005). In USA the increase in spending with drugs sold under prescription was 4.9% from 2006 to 2007 and hit the 227.5 billion dollars mark (Hartman et al, 2009). In Mexico, total spending with medicines in 2007 responded for 21% of healthcare spending (Moise, 2008).…”

In favour of a Millian proposal to reform biomedical research

“…U.S. patients have to pay far more for their drugs than consumers in comparable countries. Spending in the U.S. for prescription drugs was $227.5 billion in 2007, more than five times the 1990 figure (which was $40.3 billion; see Kaiser Family Foundation 2008; Hartman et al 2009). This was about $753 per capita in 2007.…”