Giving Compass' Take:

• Minal R. Patel and Joe Gerald believe that the U.S. government should establish and financially support a politically independent, impartial expert advisory committee tasked with making critical, evidence-based recommendations on pharmaceutical policy. 

• Other economically developed countries have taken greater steps than the U.S. to establish policies to protect patients. How can America learn from these countries? 

• Learn about several startups that seek to reduce prescription prices. 

Demand for prescription medications in the U.S. is at an all time high, given that 50% of adults have at least one chronic condition, and 25% have two or more. Sixty percent of the population, and 90% of Medicare beneficiaries have taken at least one prescription medication in the past month.

Rising health care costs over time are leading to higher out-of-pocket expenses for patients, such that one-quarter of families report health spending imposes a significant financial burden. One of the biggest concerns is about the out-of-pocket expenses associated with prescription drugs.

We are both health researchers who focus on strategies to improve access to care and disease management. We recently led an American Thoracic Society Policy Statement on improving the affordability of prescription medications for patients with chronic respiratory disease. In our view, the U.S. could control drug costs in much the same way other countries do, while still meeting patients’ needs for these therapies.

Read the full article about lower prescription drug prices by Minal R. Patel and Joe Gerald at The Conversation.