Companies also are requiring employees to pay a higher portion of the price of expensive brand-name drugs. And families are being forced to make choices. Shifting more of the cost burden to the consumer may slow drug use or encourage patients to choose cheaper medications, said Mott, of the UW School of Pharmacy. But that will require that patients be taught that cheaper drugs can be just as good as the brand-new drugs. I'm not saying the new drugs are worthless.
Political leaders are aware of the situation.
But there is no consensus on what, if anything, to do. We are financing the rest of the world's drug consumption. But Congress is not going to enact the kinds of price controls enacted in other countries any time soon, Ryan said. Price controls stifle research and development and would bring on drug rationing. Underlining a point made by the drug industry, Ryan said new medications have saved Medicare money by keeping people out of the hospital and away from other costly medical and surgical treatments.