CMS Releases July 2011 Medicare Part B Drug ASP Files
CMS has posted the July 2011 update to the Medicare Part B ASP files. According to CMS, average drug prices in the market generally remain stable from second to third quarter of 2011, with the prices for the top Part B drugs increasing by an average of 0.8%. For half of the higher-volume drugs, prices changed 2% or less. Prices for 14 of the top 50 drugs decreased, while 1 remained the same. CMS attributes the price decreases to “competitive market factors” such as multiple manufacturers, alternative therapies, new products, recent generic entrants, or market shifts to lower-priced products.
