ABSTRACT
The Economist Intelligence Unit projects that the US pharmaceutical market, the world’s largest at $396 billion in 2011, will increase by 6.4% annually through 2016. Demographics and disease trends are expected to boost overall drug consumption. The expansion of insurance coverage to millions of uninsured Americans under the Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA) via health insurance exchanges and Medicaid expansion is forecast to increase revenue for drug makers. However, ACA-related pharmaceutical sector fees, a new medical device tax, and lower government drug prices could negatively affect growth.
