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Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC) Increase Report Data – Cumulative

In the category of drugs > $10,000 category, three of the four quarters with lowest median percent increase since reporting began were in 2022.

The visualizations below include submitted WAC increase data from Quarter 1 (Q1) 2019 through Quarter 4 (Q4) 2022. The visualizations display data that shows Median Cumulative WAC Percent Increase for the number of reports received in each quarter. The visualizations allow you to filter through the data by WAC Price Category and Drug Source Type. Since reporting began, prescription drugs with a WAC between $1,001.01 and $10,000 have seen the least fluctuation in their reported median cumulative WAC percent increases quarter over quarter.

Median Percent Increase – WAC Price Category

Key Findings

  • In 2022, prescription drugs with a WAC greater than $10,000 saw the fewest reports (15 reports) in Quarter 4.
  • Since reporting began, prescription drugs with a WAC between $1,001.01 and $10,000 have seen the least fluctuation in their reported median cumulative WAC percent increases quarter over quarter.

Median Percent Increase – Drug Source Type

Key Findings

  • In Quarter 4 of 2022, Single Source Drugs saw more reported WAC increases (63 reports) than Quarter 4 of any previous year since reporting began. 
  • Since reporting began, Single Source Drugs have seen the least fluctuation in their reported median cumulative WAC percent increases quarter over quarter.

How HCAI Created this Product

Prescription Drug WAC Increase data for 2019 through 2022 from the Cost Transparency Prescription Drug Program (CTRx).

Note: Reported increases that do not meet the statutory requirements for reporting and prescription drugs that do not meet the definition for reporting under the Regulations and Section 321(g) of Title 21 of the United States Code were not included in the visualizations. Reports not meeting statutory requirements were: Reports not meeting statutory requirements were: 58 of 1,407 (4.1 percent) in 2019; 37 of 1,251 (3.0 percent) in 2020; 45 of 1,050 (4.3 percent) in 2021; and 66 of 1,258 reports (5.3 percent) in 2022. In addition, approximately 63 percent of reports from 2019 through 2022 did not include any reason(s) for the reported WAC increases due to the information not already being in the public domain.

View Underlying Data

Resources

Note:

  • The 3-year median percent increase is based on submitted WAC increase data. The dataset is subject to reporting.
  • The dataset includes only complete reports submitted by manufacturers for WAC increases made in Q1 2019 through Q4 2022, not including reports that do not meet the specified minimum thresholds for reporting.
  • Manufacturers can submit late reports; WAC increase reports submitted after March 17, 2023, are not included in the data.

Additional Information

Topic: Cost Transparency
Source Link: Cost Transparency – Prescription Drug (Rx) Costs
Citation: HCAI – Prescription Drug Cost Transparency, Cumulative Q1 2019 – Q4 2022
Temporal Coverage: 2019 – 2022
Spatial/Geographic Coverage: Statewide
Frequency: Quarterly