Drug expenditures in a balanced strategy for healthcare policy.

The US, like many countries, has turned its public focus onto its healthcare system, with drug prices drawing particular attention. Expenditure trends indicate that drugs do not represent a large portion of the overall healthcare picture; the typical US consumer, however, feels these costs more personally because large portions of outpatient drugs in the US are purchased with out-of-pocket funds. Using data trends for US expenditures, we contrasted projections in the year 2000 under the current US system relative to a strategic policy with full coverage of prescription drugs. Under this proposed scenario, drugs still captured just a small portion of overall healthcare expenditures, but with major shifting to private insurance and government programmes. Thus, as society increasingly views some level of healthcare as a basic human right, effective policies for the healthcare system--including the drug sector--must balance competing regulatory and market pressures.