Decrease due to drops in generic drug prices and slow growth in the cost of brand-name medications
FRIDAY, Dec. 6, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Retail prescription drug prices in the United States fell by 1 percent last year, a new government report shows.
The report said the overall decrease was due to drops in generic drug prices and slow growth in the cost of brand-name medications, the Associated Press reported.
It is the first such decline in 45 years, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services experts. The last one was a 0.2 percent decrease in 1973.
Only retail pharmacy prescriptions had an overall price drop, not medications given in hospitals or doctor’s offices, the AP reported.
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