Final answer:
The most costly prescriptions in the US in 2017 are not specified, but the question relates to the broader issue of Medicare prescription benefits and the opioid epidemic. Medicare expansion has led to significant government spending on prescription drugs, and the crackdown on opioid prescriptions has unintentionally pushed individuals towards illegal drugs, driving up overdose rates.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question "What were the most costly prescriptions in the US in 2017?" pertains to US healthcare costs, particularly focusing on prescription drugs during that year. While specific drug costs can vary widely and data for 2017 is not provided in the reference material, we can discuss some related issues. The introduction of Medicare prescription benefits has significantly improved public health for the elderly. However, such benefits have come with criticisms including high costs and potentially inflationary impacts on the price of prescription drugs.
Within the Medicare program, individuals pay an annual premium and deductible, after which the federal government covers 75 percent of their prescription drug costs up to a limit. In 2003, the Medicare Modernization Act was signed into law, greatly expanding Medicare's drug coverage, which illustrates the political pressure to assist the aging population with medical costs including expensive prescriptions. The cost of the prescription drug benefit escalated from about $40 billion in 2006 to a projected $121 billion by 2016.
The impact of costly prescription drugs has been profound even beyond financial aspects. Aggressive policing of 'pill mills' and the reformulation of drugs like Oxycodone have led to scarcity and increased street prices. This scarcity has inadvertently driven individuals towards illegal and more dangerous alternatives such as heroin, synthetic opioids like Fentanyl, contributing to the staggering increase in drug overdoses related to opioids.
In fact, the opioid epidemic has affected all demographics within the United States, partly driven by a significant increase in the medical use of prescription painkillers. Additionally, the switch from expensive prescription opioids to cheaper drugs like heroin, often provided by drug cartels, has aggravated this public health crisis.