Report: U.S. seniors' drug costs soared

NEW YORK, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- The cost of U.S. prescription drugs widely used by the elderly rose at twice the rate of other drugs for a third year, a report published Tuesday said.

In its annual report, AARP said the 12-month average increase for 195 drugs was 6.6 percent, or more than double the 3.1-percent rise in the Consumer Price Index that tracks general inflation.

There was less than a 1-percent increase in the average price of generic drugs, the report said.

Ken Johnson, senior vice president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association, criticized the AARP figures. He told The New York Times they were based on wholesale prices and "do not reflect the true amounts paid by seniors for their medicines."