Introducing A New Series Of Health Affairs Policy Primers: Prescription Drug Pricing

For policy makers at every level of government it is easy to recognize the deep impact of soaring prescription drug prices. Bold headlines, countless hearings, and recent legislation have all raised the alarm about, and floated policy solutions to address, sharp price spikes, sudden shortages, growing out-of-pocket costs, and other serious obstacles to patients’ access. Much more difficult is the work required to untangle the complicated interplay of forces that are driving prices so high. Health Affairs has long published the work of researchers doing the critical work of identifying, evaluating, and measuring those forces. But just as important is translating that research and providing actionable evidence for an audience beyond academia, particularly for those making policy in both the public and private spheres. It is with that goal in mind that Health Affairs has embarked on a new project. Today, we are releasing the first four in a series of twelve primers on key issues currently shaping the prescription drug market. Each primer offers a short, accessible overview of the issue and a close examination of how it affects pricing. These primers are the result of a collaborative effort aimed at providing policy makers the tools they need to approach these issues thoughtfully and deliberately, armed with concrete evidence and the latest research. This spring Health Affairs convened an expert advisory board to help identify and narrow the list of topics on which the primers ...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Elsewhere@ Health Affairs Source Type: blogs