Posted by Michael Wonder on 11 Mar 2019
U.S. drug prices, but not out-of-pocket costs, are the world's highest
8 March 2019 - With drug prices rising sitting at 10% of skyrocketing health care costs and pharmaceutical companies socking away big profits, you might assume that the U.S. has the highest prescription drug spending in the world. And you’d be right.
Per capita prescription expenses in 2016 were $1,016 in this country, while the comparable country average was $593. Even Switzerland, no stranger to higher health care costs, stood second at $794. Sweden was $356.
So it might seem surprising that the U.S. wasn’t so far off from other countries in out-of-pocket expenses, according to Axios: number three at $139 versus the comparable country average of $118. Switzerland was on top at $246 and Canada, number two with $154.
