Generic Drug Prices Dropping More Slowly According to AARP Report

Publisher's Note:  It is becoming increasingly apparent that generic drug manufacturers are following the lead of Pharma in charging what the traffic will bear.  That is why it is imperative that steps be taken by Congress to act to ensure that the FDA/Pharma collusion does not lead to the senseless seizure and destruction of safe, valid, brand-name prescription medicines.  Personal importation can offer Americans a competitive option to being the victims of the highest prescription prescription medicine prices in the world.

Some generic drugs had substantial price decreases; others had equally substantial price increases

WASHINGTON, DC—The new Rx Price Watch Report released today by AARP Public Policy Institute(PPI) shows a number of popular generic drugs had substantial price increases, with some prices going up as much as 1,000%. Overall, retail prices for generic prescription drugs widely used by older Americans fell an average of 4% in 2013. Although generic drug prices have been consistently declining over the past several years, the latest annual data available showed the smallest average annual decline since at least 2006, a sign that the era of falling prices for generic drugs could be coming to an end.

The new PPI report looked at the 2013 retail prices for 280 of the generic drugs most widely used by older Americans. The report shows that the majority (73%) of widely used generic drug products included in the study experienced price decreases, some of them substantial.  

“Declining generic drug prices have helped many Americans’ pocketbooks, particularly older adults on fixed incomes,” said Debra Whitman, PhD, AARP Executive Vice President for Policy. “Unfortunately, recent trends indicate that we may not be able to rely on these savings forever.”

Nearly two-thirds of older Americans use three or more prescription drugs a year, according to the report. If these people used three generic drugs on a chronic basis in 2013, they would have paid an average annual retail price of therapy of $849. In contrast, the average annual retail price of therapy for three brand name medications used on a chronic basis was more than 10 times higher ($8,880) over the same period.

Highlights of the 2013 Rx Price Watch Report

Based on the market basket of 280 generic drugs widely used by older Americans:

• On average, retail prices of widely used generic drugs fell by 4% in 2013
• 73% had retail price decreases
• 27% had retail price increases
• 11 drugs had retail price increases of greater than 30%
• $283: Average annual cost for a generic drug used for a chronic condition

According to the AARP PPI Report, more than 75% of all retail prescriptions filled in the US are for generic drugs. Lower cost generic drugs help consumers and third-party payers—such as private health insurers and state and federal programs—manage the high cost of prescription drugs.

“Many brand name drugs have generic equivalents that are every bit as safe and effective but typically cost much less than their brand name counterparts,” said Leigh Purvis, MPA, PPI Director of Health Services Research and co-author of the new report. “As more and more new brand name drugs and biologic drugs enter the market with extremely high prices, it will be more important than ever that people have generic medications to help with their budgets.” 

“Rx Price Watch Report: Trends in Retail Prices of Generic Prescription Drugs Widely Used by Older Americans, 2006 to 2013” Methodology

AARP’s Public Policy Institute, in collaboration with the PRIME Institute at the University of Minnesota, developed a market basket of 280 generic prescription drug products widely used by older Americans. Using data from the Truven Health MarketScan® Research Databases, the report analyzed retail price changes between 2006 and 2013 for the drug products in the market basket. The medications include products used to treat common and often chronic health conditions, including high cholesterol, depression, diabetes, and hypertension.

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Additional Resources

• Rx Price Watch Report: Trends in Retail Prices of Brand Name Prescription Drugs Widely Used by Older Americans, 2006 to 2013
• AARP Drug Compare Tool – Learn the difference and similarities between any two Rx or over-the-counter medications.
• Medicare beneficiaries can qualify for assistance with prescription drug plan costs athttp://www.socialsecurity.gov/medicare/prescriptionhelp/
• AARP Bulletin article, “Feeling the Pain of Costly Prescription Drugs” (Jan/Feb 2015)