Debuting Sept. 12, this three-part series examines the problems plaguing an industry that America now relies on to fill 9 out of every 10 prescriptions.
Generic drugs are, in many ways, the unsung hero of America’s health care system, bringing powerful medical innovations within the reach of millions more people. These cheaper copies of brand-name drugs — from pills that stop heart attacks to antibiotics that cure life-threatening infections — save America hundreds of billions of dollars a year.
But will affordable, high-quality generic drugs continue to be there when we need them?
That’s the existential question now looming over the industry.
Some players are abandoning this business while others slash costs by cutting dangerous corners. Shortages of older generic drugs have become the norm, sending doctors scrambling. At the same time, crucial new medicines are proving tougher to copy on the cheap, saddling patients with brand-name prices.
Over the course of “Race to the Bottom,” our new three-part podcast series, we’ll explore why this industry that’s so essential to our health is in trouble — and what could change that.
Part One: Boom Times
Forty years ago this month, President Ronald Reagan signed groundbreaking, bipartisan legislation that gave birth to a new drug industry. Lawmakers made choices back then that help explain the wild success and also the troubles we see today with generic medicines.
Part Two: Hard Bargain
America pays less, on average, than any other major country for the generic drugs that account for 90% of our prescriptions. But selling essential drugs at such low prices comes with hidden costs, from quality problems to frequent shortages.
Part Three: Where’s the Cavalry?
Many potent new medicines pose a host of challenges for drug companies trying to copy and sell similar versions on the cheap. Can those companies find a sustainable path forward, or will they close shop and leave patients stuck paying exorbitant prices?
Read more about the big threats facing the cheap effective medicines that underpin the U.S. health care system.
This project was supported in part by the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation, Arnold Ventures and West Health.