Discussions about the cost and affordability of medicines – and health care more broadly – are important. At the same time, it is important to look at costs across the health care system and not just the share going toward life changing medicines.

New medicines are transforming care for patients fighting debilitating diseases like cancer, hepatitis C, high cholesterol and more. In the midst of all this progress, the share of spending on retail medicines remains the same as it was 50 years ago. In fact, government actuaries project that spending on prescription medicines will grow in line with overall health care spending through the next decade.

Prescription Medicines: Costs and Context tells the biopharmaceutical industry’s value, cost and evolving marketplace story. Costs in Context also dives into recent advances in treating devastating diseases, challenges and opportunities for biopharmaceutical companies in the rapidly changing marketplace and policy solutions we need to focus on to continue delivering innovative treatments to patients.   

The attached presentation outlines the benefits of medicines to patients, the health care system and the economy.