P0092 The rising cost of anti-cancer drugs

Abstract

Background Anti-cancer drugs are often expensive and are contributing to the growing cost of cancer care. Concerns have been raised about the effect rising costs may have on availability of new anti-cancer drugs. The aim of this study was to determine recent changes in the costs of anti-cancer drugs in Australia. Methods Publicly available expenditure and prices paid by the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for anti-cancer drugs from 2000 to 2012 were reviewed. The measures used to determine changes in cost were total PBS expenditure and average price paid per prescription for anti-cancer drugs and for all PBS listed drugs. An estimated monthly price paid for newly listed anti-cancer drugs was also calculated. Findings Annual PBS expenditure on anti-cancer drugs rose from $65 million in 1999–2000 to $466 million in 2011–2012; an average increase of 19% per annum compared with 9% per annum for total PBS expenditure. The average price paid by the PBS per anti-cancer drug prescription, adjusted for health prices inflation, increased 133% from $337 to $786. The real average annual increase in the price per anti-cancer drug prescription was more than double that for all other PBS drugs combined (7.6% versus 2.8%, difference 4.8%, 95% confidence interval −0.4 to 10.1, p = 0.07). The median price for a month’s treatment of the new anti-cancer drugs listed during the study period was $4919 (range $1003 to $12578, 2012 prices). Interpretation PBS expenditure and the price of anti-cancer drugs in Australia climbed substantially over the study period. Dealing with these burgeoning costs is a major challenge for health systems worldwide and for those affected by cancer.