4.4 Billion Prescription Drugs Were Dispensed in 2015

The IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics recently conducted an analysis on medication spending trends. Here are some key findings from the report:

·         Total spending on medicines in the U.S. reached $310 billion in 2015.

·         2015 saw a 8.5% total spending increase for medicines in the U.S. compared to 2014.

·         Specialty medicines contributed more than two-thirds of overall growth between 2010 and 2015.

·         2015 saw a 21.5% spending increase for specialty medicines to $150.8 billion on an invoice price basis.

·         The average patient cost exposure for brand prescriptions reached $44 per prescription in 2015.

·         Total prescriptions dispensed in 2015 reached 4.4 billion, up 1% year over year.

Source: IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, April 14, 2016