American prescription drugs are expensive, and the prices keep rising. 9 out of 10 Americans feel that prescription drug prices are too high, and we can see the evidence that price rises seem unbound on this infographic from NY Requirements. The team analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to show us which drug prices have increased the most. Here are the drugs that have had the biggest increase from 2022 to 2023:
- Vasopressin (Diabetes insipidus): 3,558.33%
- Divigel (Menopause): 3,022.22%
- Fludarabine (Blood cancers): 2,387.27%
- Fluconazole (Antifungal): 1,100.85%
- Azathioprine (Organ rejection): 900.00%
- Chlordiazepoxide / Clidinium bromide (Stomach and bowel issues): 697.07%
- Valsartan / Hydrochlorothiazide (High blood pressure): 329.50%
- Sodium acetate (Low sodium): 293.29%
- Indomethacin (Pain): 255.92%
- Ipratropium bromide/albuterol (Lung diseases): 254.55%
There are many different reasons these prices could have increased. For one, drug companies are profit-motivated entities, and they’re protected by patents and the legal system. Prescription drugs are protected by 20-year patents, which means competitors can’t introduce lower cost versions to the market. The pharmaceutical industry has a lot of money and power used to lobby Congress for such protections. Other people place blame on the insurance companies and say they have shifted too much responsibility onto consumers through higher deductibles and copays.
Regardless of the reasons, it seems clear through data like this that drug prices are rising more rapidly than consumers can keep up with. In the past few years, 46% of prescription drug prices rose faster than the rate of inflation, making them even more difficult to afford. Behind these facts is a difficult truth: people die because they can’t afford medications. Many of the drugs on this list are for common but severe ailments like diabetes. At this rate, it’s projected that over a million seniors could die prematurely by 2030 because they can’t afford their medications.
