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Elderly Drug Prices Soaring: Report

Martha Kennedy complains about the high cost of prescription drugs with peers at the Iona senior center in Washington, D.C.

By Lisa Myers, NBC NEWS

June 12, 2002

Video

Martha Kennedy complains about the high cost of prescription drugs with peers at the Iona senior center in Washington, D.C.

The prices of prescription medicines used by the elderly have jumped in the past year, increasing at twice the rate of inflation, according to a group that advocates federal aid for prescription drugs.

The Report, published Tuesday by Families USA, validates what the lunch crowd at the Iona senior center in Washington, D.C., knows all too well about one of their favorite topics — drug prices.

“I’m not very good about keeping track of things, I must say, but I am aware that I’m spending more money all the time,” said senior Martha Kennedy.

The new study finds that prices of the 50 drugs most popular with seniors jumped, on average, 6.1 percent last year, more than twice the increase of other normal living costs. Over the last five years, prices have gone up almost 23 percent.

And costs of some popular drugs are rising even faster:

Synthroid, used for thyroid problems, is up almost 23 percent — that’s eight times the rate of inflation;

Alphagan, used for glaucoma, is also up almost 23 percent;

Premarin, an estrogen replacement, is up nearly 13 percent.

Families USA calls the increases unjustified.
“Some of these drugs have been on the market for a very, very long time, and yet they continue to increase in prices,” said Ron Pollack of the consumer group.

Top 20 drugs used by older Americans, ranked by number of prescriptions issued.
	Rank	Brand name	Marketer	Therapeutic category
	1.	Prilosec	Astra Zeneca	Gastrointestinal agent
	2.	Norvasc (5 mg)	Pfizer	Calcium channel blocker
	3.	K-Dur 20	Schering	Potassium replacement
	4.	Lanoxin (0.125 mg)	Glaxo Wellcome	Cardiac glycoside
	5.	Lipitor (10 mg)	Parke-Davis	Lipid-lowering agent
	6.	Celebrex	Searle	Anti-inflammatory/ analgesic
	7.	furosemide	Mylan	Loop diuretic
	8.	Fosamax	Merck	Osteoporosis treatment
	9.	Glucophage	Bristol-Meyers Squibb	Oral anti-diabetic agent
	10.	Plavix	Bristol-Meyers Squibb	Anti-platelet agent
	Next (11-20)
	Source: "Bitter Pill: The Rises Prices of Prescription Drugs for Older Americans," Families USA Foundation. June 2002.

Top 20 highest-priced drugs used by older Americans, ranked by average wholesale price * in 2002.
	Cost/ year	Brand name	Marketer	Therapeutic category
	$2,010	Celebrex (200 mg)	Searle	Anti-inflammatory/ analgesic
	$1,684	Prilosec	Astra Zeneca	Gastrointestinal agent
	$1,626	Prevacid	TAP Pharm	Gastrointestinal agent
	$1,520	Zocor	Merck	Lipid-lowering agent
	$1,440	Plavix	Bristol-Meyers Squibb	Anti-platelet agent
	$1,231	Lipitor (20 mg)	Parke-Davis	Lipid-lowering agent
	$1,199	Celebrex (100 mg)	Searle	Anti-inflammatory/ analgesic
	$1,108	Detrol	Pharmacia & Upjohn	Overactive bladder treatment
	$1,031	Paxil	SKB	Antidepressant
	$1,015	Pravachol	Bristol-Meyers Squibb	Lipid-lowering agent
	Next (11-20)
	* Price that drug marketers suggest that drug wholesalers charge pharmacies. Source: "Bitter Pill: The Rises Prices of Prescription Drugs for Older Americans," Families USA Foundation. June 2002.

Top 20 drugs used by older Americans with largest price hikes from January 2001 to January 2002.
	% Price increase	Brand name	Marketer	Therapeutic category
	20.3%	Metoprolol	Teva	Beta blocker
	17.8%	Demadex	Roche	Loop diuretic
	17.5%	Premarin	Wyeth-Ayerst	Estrogen replacement
	16.8%	Plavix	Bristol-Myers Squibb	Anti-platelet agent
	14.6%	Zestril (10 mg)	Astra Zeneca	ACE Inhibitor
	14.6%	Zestril (20 mg)	Astra Zeneca	ACE Inhibitor
	13.5%	Lipitor	Parke-Davis	Lipid-lowering agent
	13.4%	Combivent	Boehringer Ingelheim	Respiratory agent
	11.6%	Paxil	SKB	Antidepressant
	11.5%	Prilosec	Astra Zeneca	Gastrointestinal agent
	Next (11-20)
	Source: "Bitter Pill: The Rises Prices of Prescription Drugs for Older Americans," Families USA Foundation. June 2002.

Top 20 drugs used by older Americans, ranked by number of prescriptions issued.
	Rank	Brand name	Marketer	Therapeutic category
	11.	Prevacid	TAP Pharm	Gastrointestinal agent
	12.	Zocor	Merck	Lipid-lowering agent
	13.	Xalatan	Pharmacia & Upjohn	Glaucoma treatment
	14.	Pepcid	Merck	Gastrointestinal agent
	15.	Lanoxin (0.25 mg)	Glaxo Wellcome	Cardiac glycoside
	16.	Norvasc (10 mg)	Pfizer	Calcium channel blocker
	17.	Synthroid (0.1mg)	Knoll	Synthetic thyroid agent
	18.	Vioxx	Merck	Anti-inflammatory/ analgesic
	19.	Synthroid (0.05 mg)	Knoll	Synthetic thyroid agent
	20.	isosorbide mononitrate	Warrick	Anti-anginal agent
	Back (1-10)
	Source: "Bitter Pill: The Rises Prices of Prescription Drugs for Older Americans," Families USA Foundation. June 2002.

Top 20 highest-priced drugs used by older Americans, ranked by average wholesale price in 2001.*
	Cost/ year	Brand name	Marketer	Therapeutic category
	$1,004	Vioxx	Merck	Anti-inflammatory/ analgesic
	$973	Claritin	Schering	Non-sedating antihistamine
	$922	Zocor	Merck	Lipid-lowering agent
	$920	Zoloft	Pfizer	Antidepressant
	$889	Glucophage	Bristol-Meyers Squibb	Oral anti-diabetic agent
	$849	Evista	Lilly	Osteoporosis treatment
	$844	Fosamax	Merck	Osteoporosis treatment
	$843	Lipitor (10 mg)	Parke-Davis	Lipid-lowering agent
	$794	Norvasc (5 mg)	Pfizer	Calcium channel blocker
	$740	Pepcid	Merck	Gastrointestinal agent
	Back (1-10)
	* Price that drug marketers suggest that drug wholesalers charge pharmacies. Source: "Bitter Pill: The Rises Prices of Prescription Drugs for Older Americans," Families USA Foundation. June 2002.

Top 20 drugs used by older Americans with largest price hikes from January 2000 to January 2001.
	% Price increase	Brand name	Marketer	Therapeutic category
	11.5%	Prevacid	TAP Pharm	Gastrointestinal agent
	10.4%	Celebrex (100 mg)	Searle	Anti-inflammatory agent
	9.4%	Celebrex (200 mg)	Searle	Anti-inflammatory agent
	9.3%	Claritin	Schering	Non-sedating antihistamine
	9.0%	Pravachol	Bristol-Myers Squibb	Cholesterol-lowering agent
	8.8%	Glucophage	Bristol-Meyers Squibb	Oral anti-diabetic agent
	8.5%	Detrol	Pharmacia & Upjohn	Overactive bladder treatment
	8.1%	K-Dur 20	Schering	Potassium replacement
	7.6%	Toprol XL	Astra Zeneca	Beta blocker
	7.3%	Lipitor (20 mg)	Parke-Davis	Cholesterol-lowering agent
	Back (1-10)
	Source: "Bitter Pill: The Rises Prices of Prescription Drugs for Older Americans," Families USA Foundation. June 2002.

Still, the most expensive of the popular drugs last year is a relatively new one — Celebrex, at an average cost of $1,837 per year.

Fortune Magazine rated pharmaceuticals the most profitable industry in the country last year, with an 18.6 percent return. But drug makers insist prices are not rising that fast — citing a government report showing overall prescription prices rose less than inflation last year.

And the companies point out that, in many cases, drugs are replacing even more expensive alternatives such as surgery. Drug makers advise consumers to shop around, citing a recent survey in Seattle that found big differences in prices for the same drug, Premarin, selling for $30.98 at the chain drug store Rite Aid and $15.89 at Costco.

On Capitol Hill, both Republicans and Democrats promise to pass plans this year to help seniors pay for prescription drugs. But their approaches are so different, the end result still could be gridlock.