Clarence has had two heart surgeries and requires costly medications, while Dorothy takes drugs to treat her diabetes and a thyroid condition. . . . Recently, Dorothy's doctor suggested a new insulin drug for her diabetes.
Prescription drugs are the fastest-growing component of national health expenditures.
Since 1990, spending on prescription drugs has tripled, and spending is expected to keep rising. Not only are more prescriptions being written and more costly drugs prescribed, but the price increases of many drugs are outpacing inflation. Elderly persons are among those most affected by rising drug costs. Eight out of ten elderly and disabled persons on Medicare use prescription medications regularly. Chronic conditions such as arthritis and hypertension, which are particularly prevalent among the elderly, can often be effectively managed with medications.