According to Medco Health Solutions 2008 Drug Trend Report treatments for diabetes are now driving prescription drug spending growth. The report comprehensively analyses spending on prescription drugs.
Cholesterol drugs dropped off the top spot, after a decade in this position. However, spending on diabetes drugs has now increases by 12 per cent as treatment become more expensive, drug prices are inflated, and then number of patients experiencing treatment soars.
The Chairman and CEO of Medco, David Snow Jr. reportedly commented: “Generic drugs have been a tremendous asset in controlling runaway health care costs. Generic cholesterol medications have helped contain our drug trend to a new all-time low of 2.0 percent. Patients and our clients are reaping the benefits of generics as we enable them to hold down costs and make prescription drugs one of the few areas where spending trails overall health care inflation.”
Major diabetes news events such as Avandia concerns, the dropping of exubera and lower unit costs for generic drugs did not do enough to lower the trend towards more expensive diabetes treatment .

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