Prescription drug spending surged in 2014 and continued to rise significantly in 2015, driven in part by growth in specialty drug expenditures, including medications to treat cancer and hepatitis C. What patients themselves pay for drugs is also influenced by the cost-sharing required under their insurance plans. High-profile cases have highlighted large price increases, and the public has named prescription drug affordability as a top health care priority for the President and Congress, prompting politicians and lawmakers to seek solutions.

On Thursday, July 7, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET, the Kaiser Family Foundation hosted a web panel discussion on  how drug prices are set and the drivers of recent and forecasted trends in prescription drug spending.

Larry Levitt, senior vice president for special initiatives at the Foundation, moderated the discussion.
Panelists Kirsten Axelsen, vice president of worldwide policy, Pfizer; Steve Miller, MD, chief medical officer, Express Scripts; and Celynda G. Tadlock, PharmD, vice president of pharmacy business development, Aetna, shared insights.

Participants submitted questions and followed the conversation on Twitter at #kffevent.

Rx Drugs and the U.S. Health System is a series of web panel discussions hosted by the Kaiser Family Foundation exploring prescription drug costs and spending in the U.S. health system.