Benefits–Not Just Costs–of Medicines Must Be a Part of Discussion

According to Dr. Robert W. Dubois, Interim President and CEO of NPC, in the context of healthcare costs, the amount spent on payments for hospitals and physicians far outweighs what is spent on medications. However, prescription drug costs dominate the discussion despite making up only 17% of the pie.

“But that’s only half the story: not only do medicines come with a smaller cost than is generally assumed, benefit – measured by the impact on the health of our nation — is generally underappreciated as well. Our research at the National Pharmaceutical Council found that physicians attribute 56% of improvement in outcomes for eight different conditions to medications, with all other medical interventions making up the remainder,” Dubois says. This topic is of special relevance now in the era of COVID-19. The historical data suggest this crisis will be solved partly through public health and partly through pharmaceutical intervention–with hospital techniques or technology playing only a minor role. Read the full blog here.

(Source: Robert W. Dubois, MD, PhD, NPC Interim President and CEO, NPC Blog, September 8, 2020)