BRAND-NAME PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICING: Lack of Therapeutically Equivalent Drugs and Limited Competition May Contribute to Extraordinary Price Increases.

UNITED States. Government Accountability Office; DRUG prices; UNITED States. Food & Drug Administration; PATENT medicines -- Law & legislation; MEDICAL care laws

The article highlights the study of Government Accountability Office (GAO) which examines the growing cost of brand-name prescription drugs with extraordinary price increase in the U.S. It notes that Food and Drug Administration-approved drug products that have patent protection concern the patients, payers and providers of health care when the prices increase suddenly in large amount. In this regard, GAO examines the extraordinary price increase for the brand-name price increase.