A primer on prescription drug pricing benchmarks in the United States

The price of a prescription drug can be difficult to determine in the United States. Pricing benchmarks are reference points used to determine acquisition costs as drugs are physically moved through the supply chain, to reimburse pharmacies, to calculate rebates, and to determine patient payments. Public health insurance programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, leverage different pricing benchmarks to pay for drugs for their beneficiaries, and the same drug can vary in price by program. The goal of this primer is to explain the most commonly used drug pricing benchmarks and their current contexts for use.