Factors contributing to trends in prescription drug expenditures

Between 1970 and 1995, national prescription drug expenditures and Medicaid drug expenditures increased proportionately less than did total health car e expenditures and total Medicaid expenditures, respectively, although they increased to a greater extent than did expenditures in other sectors of th e economy. General inflation, which cannot be controlled by health care pol icy, has been the major factor contributing to the growth in national presc ription drug expenditures. Other contributors were population growth, incre ases in per capita prescription use, increases in per-prescription intensit y (ie, real drug expenditures), and the fact that prescription drug prices exceeded general inflation. Medicaid drug expenditures have increased mainl y because of growth in the number of drug recipients, increases in prescrip tion drug prices, and economy-wide inflation.