Blister pack with dollars instead of pills According to the Artemetrx report. the per-member-per-year cost for specialty drugs averaged $959, an increase of $101 compared with $111 from the prior year. (Photo: Shutterstock)

The trend in specialty drug cost increases moderated a bit in 2020, but a new report finds that this was probably due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed or deferred some care. The report predicts continued increases in costs for specialty medications in coming years.

Growing utilization of these expensive drugs will drive the trend higher in the future, according to the report. The study was released by Artemetrx, an integrated data technology platform that is part of Pharmaceutical Strategies Group, a pharmacy benefits consulting firm.

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