The expenses that individuals incur for branded medications aimed at treating neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease are steadily increasing. This trend is particularly notable for MS medications, as highlighted by a recent study. The research revealed that the average out-of-pocket expenses for MS treatments surged by 217% over a span of nine years.
The journal Neurology®, published by the American Academy of Neurology, revealed in a recent study that patients’ out-of-pocket expenses for multiple sclerosis medications have surged by 217% over nine years.
However, prices have decreased for some drugs following the introduction of generic alternatives.
“In certain instances, patients are facing out-of-pocket costs that have risen considerably more than the overall cost of the medication, suggesting they are bearing an unfair share of these expense increases,” explained Amanda V. Gusovsky, MPH, PhD from The Ohio State University in Columbus. “Conversely, there are situations where generics.
Despite the introduction of new medications leading to a decrease in overall expenses, patients did not experience a reduction in their personal costs, meaning they weren’t reaping the benefits of these savings.
In this research, scientists looked into the drug costs for five prevalent neurological conditions from 2012 to 2021 by utilizing a comprehensive private healthcare claims database. The study included data from 186,144 individuals with epilepsy, 169,127 with peripheral neuropathy, 60,861 suffering from Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, 54,676 with multiple sclerosis (MS), and 45,909 diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
The cost of drugs for MS saw the most significant rise; the annual out-of-pocket expense for these medications soared from $750 in 2012 to $2,378 in
year in 2021. All MS medication expenses were on the rise.
“The costs associated with MS treatments remain extremely high, creating a significant financial strain for those affected by this serious illness,” stated Gusovsky. “We must create policy solutions such as price caps, value-based pricing, and promoting the manufacturing of generic medications to tackle this concern.”
The research revealed that after the launch of a generic version, prices for various drugs targeting these conditions dropped by 48% to 80% within subsequent years.
According to Gusovsky, both neurologists and patients should explore the option of using generic or biosimilar medications whenever possible.
She pointed out that earlier research indicates that elevated costs can result in serious issues, including accumulating medical debt, forgoing food or other necessities, and not adhering to prescribed medication schedules. These behaviors can potentially lead to complications and increased expenses in the future.
One drawback of the study is that the figures provided are based on billed charges, which only serve as an approximation of actual costs.
