Rising care costs The median cost per prescription for Lipitor increased from $116 in January 2012 to $274 in December 2017; Lyrica’s median cost during the same period rose from $174 to $411. (Photo: Shutterstock)

It’s not your imagination—the cost of prescription medication is increasing. In fact, the increases are so great that prices have doubled for some medications within just the past six to eight years.

That’s according to a study published in JAMA Network Open, from the Journal of the American Medical Association, which finds that between January of 2012 and December of 2017, prices for 48 out of 49 of the most common brand-name prescription drugs rose. In fact, according to the study, “78 percent of the drugs that have been available since 2012 have seen an increase in insurer and out-of-pocket costs by more than 50 percent, and 44 percent have more than doubled in price.”

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Marlene Satter

Marlene Y. Satter has worked in and written about the financial industry for decades.

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