Unbiased, accessible information about the pharmaceutical supply chain is limited.

Arnold Ventures (AV) is a philanthropy dedicated to tackling some of the most pressing problems in the United States. With an aim to lower drug prices to reduce costs for patients, employers, and taxpayers, AV sought help in producing an unbiased, evidence-based examination of the forces that shape prescription medication costs.

The prescription drug incentive and price environment is exceedingly complex, and despite tremendous policy and media attention on prescription drug prices, there is limited unbiased, accessible information for policymakers and the public. AV understood the potential for an easy-to-understand, interactive microsite to generate robust discussion surrounding issues of medication affordability and patient access.

NORC authored five research papers and created the Drug Pricing Explained microsite.

Leveraging years of research, policy, and pricing expertise, NORC’s Health Care Strategy (HCS) team examined the prescription drug landscape to identify the five drug treatments that best aligned with the project’s purpose. HCS sought to identify medications that were top-of-mind for Americans due to pre-existing media attention directed to high price or access issues. HCS also identified medications with compelling supply chain dynamics that impact consumer price and access but are often unknown to the general public.

With drugs identified, HCS researched the complete story of each drug—including research and development, patenting, launch, market share, regulation, distribution, and rebates—and produced five research papers that illuminate the factors impacting patient price and access. HCS then created a website that packaged the findings in clear, easy-to-access narratives.