Making Medicines Affordable

Making Medicines Affordable
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 235
Release: 2018-03-01
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309468086

Thanks to remarkable advances in modern health care attributable to science, engineering, and medicine, it is now possible to cure or manage illnesses that were long deemed untreatable. At the same time, however, the United States is facing the vexing challenge of a seemingly uncontrolled rise in the cost of health care. Total medical expenditures are rapidly approaching 20 percent of the gross domestic product and are crowding out other priorities of national importance. The use of increasingly expensive prescription drugs is a significant part of this problem, making the cost of biopharmaceuticals a serious national concern with broad political implications. Especially with the highly visible and very large price increases for prescription drugs that have occurred in recent years, finding a way to make prescription medicinesâ€"and health care at largeâ€"more affordable for everyone has become a socioeconomic imperative. Affordability is a complex function of factors, including not just the prices of the drugs themselves, but also the details of an individual's insurance coverage and the number of medical conditions that an individual or family confronts. Therefore, any solution to the affordability issue will require considering all of these factors together. The current high and increasing costs of prescription drugsâ€"coupled with the broader trends in overall health care costsâ€"is unsustainable to society as a whole. Making Medicines Affordable examines patient access to affordable and effective therapies, with emphasis on drug pricing, inflation in the cost of drugs, and insurance design. This report explores structural and policy factors influencing drug pricing, drug access programs, the emerging role of comparative effectiveness assessments in payment policies, changing finances of medical practice with regard to drug costs and reimbursement, and measures to prevent drug shortages and foster continued innovation in drug development. It makes recommendations for policy actions that could address drug price trends, improve patient access to affordable and effective treatments, and encourage innovations that address significant needs in health care.

The American Disease

The American Disease
Author: David F. Musto
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 431
Release: 1999
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0195125096

The American Disease is a classic study of the development of drug laws in the United States. Supporting the theory that Americans' attitudes toward drugs have followed a cyclic pattern of tolerance and restraint, author David F. Musto examines the relationz between public outcry and the creation of prohibitive drug laws from the end of the Civil War up to the present. Originally published in 1973, and then in an expanded edition in 1987, this third edition contains a new chapter and preface that both address the renewed debate on policy and drug legislation from the end of the Reagan administration to the current Clinton administration. Here, Musto thoroughly investigates how our nation has dealt with such issues as the controversies over prevention programs and mandatory minimum sentencing, the catastrophe of the crack epidemic, the fear of a heroin revival, and the continued debate over the legalization of marijuana.

Federal, State, and Local Solutions to Drug Abuse and Drug-related Crime

Federal, State, and Local Solutions to Drug Abuse and Drug-related Crime
Author: United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Subcommittee on General Services, Federalism, and the District of Columbia
Publisher:
Total Pages: 102
Release: 1990
Genre: Drug abuse
ISBN:

Abstract: This hearing discusses the problem of drug abuse and drug related crime among youth. The hearing participants included New Mexico state officials, staff members of local health departments, staff members of schools and other agencies that serve youth, and a representative of a police department. The testimony discusses education and prevention programs for children and youth.

Handbook of Pharmaceutical Public Policy

Handbook of Pharmaceutical Public Policy
Author: Thomas Fulda
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 714
Release: 2007-07-25
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9781439804261

Get an invaluable view of the impact of economics and politics on pharmaceuticals in the United States Pharmacy and pharmaceutical drug use are highly regulated and the various regulatory forces interact with diverse goals. Pharmaceutical Public Policy is a comprehensive review of the legislation, trends, business developments, and policy interpretations that have shaped drug use during the last 50 years. This unique single source explains drug regulatory activity, the major insurance and payment systems, and the impact of economics and politics on drug use in the United States. Leading experts provide a thorough and objective look at public policy issues, making this text perfect for upper level undergraduate and graduate level pharmacy, medical, and public health educators and students. Pharmacists and pharmacy students must learn more than just the physical sciences and clinical aspects of the pharmaceutical industry. The rationale for policies, rules, and regulations is integral to understanding how to best serve patients and make the entire pharmaceutical sector more equitable and cost-effective. Pharmaceutical Public Policy examines the most pressing issues facing the industry, including control of the rising costs for drugs and ensuring correct drug usage by patients. This insightful text offers an in depth perspective of the policies and the debates that surround them. Chapters are well-referenced and many include helpful figures and tables to illustrate facts and ideas. Topics in Pharmaceutical Public Policy include: pharmacy law and regulation Medicare and prescription drug coverage FDA drug approval process Medicaid and prescription drugs public health pharmacy Department of Veterans Affairs pharmacy programs Department of Defense pharmacy programs innovative state drug program practices state and federal regulation of pharmacy the future of the pharmaceutical industry managed care pharmacy PBM’s (pharmacy benefit managers) risk minimization importation and reimportation biotechnology and pharmacogenetics policy and issues product promotion competition between drugs drug insurance design patient compliance abuse of prescription drugs health care systems and insurance in Europe much more Pharmaceutical Public Policy is a one-of-a-kind resource that explains just who the players are and the complexity of the issues that are examined in most pharmaceutical policy debates, and is perfect for pharmacy students, educators, other health professionals, trade association leaders, and policymakers.