U.S. Drug Spending a 2-Sided Coin

By Susan Kreimer and Gina ShawTwo new reports on healthcare spending appear to point in opposite directions: One shows U.S. prescription drug outlays surging toward $1 trillion per year, while the other finds that pharmacy price increases are no longer the primary driver of hospital cost inflation. But site-of-care trends actually link both findings.Pharmacy price growth is projected at 2.84%, a decline from 3.35% six months ago, according to the inflation report, by Vizient. The moderation refl