The rising prices of prescription drugs are threatening the health and economic security of families across the country. And, despite recent volatility, prescription drug prices and spending—including out-of-pocket costs for patients—are projected to rise significantly over the next several years. Further, total government share of all U.S. retail prescription drug spending is expected to be near 50 percent by 2026. In recent years, drug manufacturers have launched new drugs at historically high prices and increased prices even on decades-old drugs, contributing to this unsustainable growth.

As debate continues in Congress over how to address this crisis, Waxman Strategies has issued a series of 101 primers on some of the key topics being discussed. They are designed to be an educational tool for those new to the topic both inside and outside the beltway. In the primers, we explore such topics as international reference pricing, anti-competitive behaviors in the pharmaceutical industry, and Medicaid drug pricing. The full library of primers may be accessed below:

• The Research & Development of Prescription Drugs: An Overview
• Anti-Competitive Behaviors: Examples from the Pharmaceutical Industry
• Medicare Financing and the Cost of Drugs: Part B
• Medicare Financing and the Cost of Drugs: Part D
• Medicaid Drug Pricing: Overview and Proposed Changes
• The Basic of Biosimilars
• International Reference Pricing: How it Works and Considerations