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Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC) Increase Report Data – Current Year

In calendar year 2022, Quarter 4 was the only quarter in which all price categories had a higher median cumulative WAC percent increase than the yearly median.

The visualizations below include submitted WAC increase data from Quarter 1 (Q1) 2022 through Quarter 4 (Q4) 2022. These graphs display data that shows Median Cumulative WAC Percent Increase by WAC Price Category, Drug Source Type, or Both. The visualizations allow you to filter through the data by quarter.

Median Percent Increase – WAC Price Category

Key Findings

  • In calendar year 2022, Quarter 4 was the only quarter in which prescription drugs with a WAC greater than $10,000 did not see the lowest reported median cumulative WAC percent increase across price categories.
  • In Quarter 4 of 2022, prescription drugs with a WAC less than $250 saw the largest reported median cumulative WAC percent increase (37.6%) of the year across all price categories.
  • In calendar year 2022, Quarter 4 was the only quarter in which all price categories had a higher median cumulative WAC percent increase than the yearly median.

Median Percent Increase – Drug Source Type

Key Findings

  • Quarter 4 of 2022 was the only quarter in which Single Source Drugs saw a reported median cumulative WAC percent increase higher than the yearly median.
  • All drug source categories saw their largest reported median cumulative WAC percent increase in Quarter 4 of 2022.

Median Percent Increase – WAC Price Category & Drug Source Type

Key Findings

  • In Quarter 4 of 2022, Non-Innovator Multiple Source Drugs with a WAC less than $250 saw the largest reported median cumulative WAC percent increase (44.4%) of the quarter.
  • In Quarter 4 of 2022, Single Source Drugs with a WAC of $250 or greater saw a reported median cumulative WAC percent increase greater than the yearly median.

How HCAI Created this Product

Prescription Drug WAC Increase data for 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 applicable California 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, 66 of 1,258 (5.3 percent) in 2022. In addition, approximately 63 percent of reports in 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 2022 and does not include 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,  Q1-Q4 2022
Temporal Coverage: 2022
Spatial/Geographic Coverage: Statewide
Frequency: Quarterly