From yesterday’s New Haven Register:
The news is full of
recent drug companies’ breathtaking price hikes. A new
study by Reuters finds that prices for four of
the top 10 U.S. drugs more than doubled since 2011, and prices for the other
six rose more than 50 percent. These drugs treat common problems such as
arthritis, asthma and high cholesterol levels affecting millions of Americans.
Some new “blockbuster” drugs hold great promise to cure important health
problems. But some, upon more study, are not much better than the older,
cheaper drugs they are seeking to replace. . . . One very promising piece of
the solution is gaining both attention and controversy. New research compares
treatments, new and old, to find which are clinically effective and, only then,
considers what they are worth, based on the benefit. This growing area of
research gives patients and doctors the best evidence about what works and what
it’s worth. These new efforts are helping to control costs while improving
health outcomes. As a consumer advocate for over two decades, I am proud to sit
on the Advisory Board of one of the prominent nonprofit organizations doing
this research — the Institute for
Clinical and Economic Review (ICER).
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more
