By Clinical Informatics News Staff 

January 28, 2015 | On Monday, the Truveris National Drug Index released its first full year figures. In 2014, generic and specialty drugs combined rising 10.9%. Brand drug prices spiked 14.8%, while specialty drug prices jumped 9.7%. Generics, historically intended to curb costs, are contributing to prescription price inflation, increasing 4.9% last year. 

Prices rose across all therapeutic classes, the Index reported, but certain conditions fared worse than others. Across composite calculations of brand, generic and specialty drugs, notable rises included: muscle pain and stiffness (29.8%); inflammation (26.6%); Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (23.0%); and heart disease (19.4%).

On the generics front, major increases were reported across several mainstream therapeutic classes. Leading the price inflation were generic drugs treating muscle pain and stiffness, with a 31.9% price increase. Other major increases reported in generics were for inflammation (31.7%); heart disease (23.7%); acne (18.1%); and infections (11.8%).

“Drug costs across all categories are becoming an escalating concern for patients, employers, insurers and lawmakers,” said Bryan Birch, Chairman, President and CEO of Truveris, in a statement. “Looking at macro industry trends, including consolidation, regulation and formulary pressures, we expect this price inflation to continue to put pressure on American households and employers in 2015.”

Truveris is a prescription drug analytics company with software-as-a-service platforms to drive transparency and lower costs across the pharmacy benefit ecosystem. The Truveris National Drug Index (NDI) measures the average price of prescription drugs, driven by the most commonly used prescriptions. Calculated monthly, it provides a holistic, accurate measurement of the prices paid by private insurers, self-insured organizations, government, unions and uninsured patients.