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TRENDS
Prescription Drug Spending Trends For The Privately Insured In Maryland, 20002001
Fadia T. Shaya,
Steven Blume and
C. Daniel Mullins
Out-of-pocket drug spending per patient rose 25 percent in 2001 for the privately insured nonelderly in Maryland, outpacing the 10 percent increase in total drug spending per patient. Prescription drug use patterns changed little in response to a 30 percent rise in copayments, with the number of prescriptions per patient decreasing by 3 percent, and the proportion of generic drugs remaining steady. About 23 percent of patients spent less than $50 on drugs in 2001, while 21 percent spent more than $700. Findings suggest that a greater proportion of the economic burden of prescription drugs in coming years will be borne by those who use them.

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