Estimating Rebates and Other Discounts Received by Medicare Part D.

Importance: Spending in Medicare Part D continues to increase. Yet, studies of Medicare Part D are plagued by a common limitation: none can fully account for confidential rebates and other discounts that drug manufacturers and pharmacies pay to Medicare Part D plans.

Objectives: To review existing methods and to propose an approach for estimating rebates and other discounts received by Medicare Part D.

Why France Spends Less Than the United States on Drugs: A Comparative Study of Drug Pricing and Pricing Regulation.

Unlabelled: Policy Points  Spending on prescription drugs is much higher per capita in the United States than in most other industrialized nations, including France.  Lower prescription drug spending in France is due to different approaches to managing drug prices, volume of prescribing, and global health budgets.  Linking a drug's price to value both at the launch of the drug and over its lifetime is key to controlling spending.