Brand-Name Drug Costs Burden Seniors

• +9.7% - Average annual increase in brand name drug manufacturer prices between April 2009 and March 2010.
  
  
• $6,580 – Average annual cost to someone taking 3 brand name drugs in the same time period.
  
  
• +10% - Average annual manufacturer price increase for brand name drugs with no generic equivalent.
  
  
• 82 – Number of drugs out of 219 in the brand name market that are off-patent.
  
  
• 88% - Percentage of brand name drugs that had a price increase between April 2009 and March 2010.
  
  
• $2,760 – Increase in cost of therapy for someone taking one medication to treat a chronic condition in 2010.
  
  
• -9.7% - Average decrease in price in generic prescriptions used by Medicare beneficiaries.
  

Source: AARP