Rx price increase of 2.1% at manufacturer level in 1996 is lowest rate since 1974 -- PPI data.
Executive Summary
PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES ROSE 2.1% IN 1996 at the wholesale level, or half the rate seen in 1995, according to unadjusted data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Producer Price Index. Prescription drug prices rose 4.2% on the preliminary PPI for 1995. The price increase is the smallest for pharmaceuticals in over 20 years; the previous low was the 2.6% increase seen in 1994.