Analysis of Inflated Drug Prices in the United States
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.3061Keywords:
U.S. drug prices, high drug prices, Prescription drug costsAbstract
In August of 2023, a listed price of the drug Ozempic was $936 dollars in the United States, nearly quintupling the price of the second highest, Japan, with a price of $169 (Peterson, 2025). The US consistently ranks the highest amongst other countries in terms of the cost for prescription drugs and healthcare in general. Essentially, the drugs in each country do not vary all that much, but what does vary greatly is the prices of these drugs. Healthcare should keep one thing above all else–keeping people healthy. Part of that is keeping drug prices affordable to all groups in the US. Medicare and Medicaid only cover 50-77% of healthcare costs for people over the age of 65 or with certain disabilities (The Commonwealth Fund, 2025). However, this is only for that select group of people and even with this help, it is less impactful for those who still have very high amounts of medical payments. This article will explore why drug prices are so high in the United States. Specifically, going into patent difficulty and lack of regulation.
References
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