CMS Updates Drug Dashboards
On March 14, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated its Drug Spending Dashboards with data for 2017. CMS’s recent version of the drug dashboards adds information on the manufacturers that are responsible for price increases across Medicare Parts B and D and Medicaid.
The dashboards focus on average spending per dosage unit for prescription drugs paid under Medicare Parts B and D and Medicaid, and track the change in average spending per dosage unit over time.
Drugs with limited to no competition can be identified using the dashboard, by sorting for drugs with few manufacturers. Information is also provided on drug uses and clinical indications, so patients and physicians can compare the list prices of different medications for a given condition.
“The dashboards pinpoint the sources of rising prescription drug prices to help guide our continued work to address this problem,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “From 2013-2017, prescription drug spending grew at an average annual rate of 10.6 percent in Medicare Part D, 10.0 percent in Part B, and 14.8 percent in Medicaid – this is one of our fastest areas of growth.”
The dashboards complement other CMS efforts to increase transparency and reduce the cost of drugs, including recent proposals to require prescription drug manufacturers to include list prices in television advertisements and to end the practice of pharmacy gag clauses. Pharmacy gag clauses can prevent pharmacists from telling patients how to access prescription drugs at the lowest cost.
In 2017, total gross spending on prescription drugs was $154.9 billion in Medicare Part D, $30.4 billion in Part B, and $67.6 billion in Medicaid.
For a closer look at the dashboards, please click here >>
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By Robert J. Blackburn, Managing Principal, Blackburn Group, Inc., contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..