Healthcare Staffing Report: Apr. 17, 2014

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US spends more on medications, use of healthcare services rises

Total dollars spent on medications in the U.S. rose 3.2 percent last year to $329.2 billion and the use of healthcare services rose, according to a study by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics.

Primary drivers of the increased spending on medicines was the reduced impact of patent expiries, price increase, higher spending on innovative new medicines and greater use by patients of the healthcare system.

The study also found the number of patient visits to primary care physicians fell by 0.7 percent in 2013, but visits to specialists rose by 4.9 percent overall and 9.5 percent for seniors.

For more on the study, click here.