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Every so often, a patient calls me and asks: “My dermatologist prescribed a steroid cream that will cost me a hundred dollars [or even more]. … Can you give me something cheaper?” In this study, researchers documented the rising costs of a broad group of topical steroids (representing each of the potency classes) that were prescribed to patients enrolled in Medicare Part D (the prescription drug benefit) and estimated the potential savings from prescribing less-expensive alternatives.
Between 2011 and 2015, numbers of prescriptions for topical steroids increased by 37%. However, annual spending on topical steroids tripled, with similar relative increases for drug-plan–covered costs and patients' out-of-pocket costs. Most spending was for gen…