Prescription drugs price inflation, 2025→2026

Prescription Drugs Inflation Calculator

Prices for Prescription Drugs, 2025-2026 ($10)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for prescription drugs are 0.16% higher in 2026 versus 2025 (a $0.02 difference in value).

Between 2025 and 2026: Prescription drugs experienced an average inflation rate of 0.16% per year. In other words, prescription drugs costing $10 in the year 2025 would cost $10.02 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 0.66% during this same period, inflation for prescription drugs was lower.

In the year 2025: Pricing changed by 1.98%, which is above the average yearly change for prescription drugs during the 2025-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 2025 (2.65%), inflation for prescription drugs was lower.

Price Inflation for Prescription drugs since 1947

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1982 (11.68%), 1981 (11.48%), and 1983 (10.98%).

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Buying power of $10.00 since 2025

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Prescription drugs, over time, for $10 beginning in 2025. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

Year	USD Value	Inflation Rate
2025	$10.00	1.98%
2026	$10.02	0.16%*

* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.

Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Prescription drugs:

Year	1947	1948	1949	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
CPI	38.200	41.075	42.175	43.133	45.400	45.975	46.025	46.850	47.433	48.983	50.442	52.808	54.125	54.075	52.283	50.275	48.967	48.450	47.850	47.658	46.892	46.067	46.583	47.383	47.408	47.208	47.058	48.200	51.167	53.950	57.175	61.633	66.383	72.450	80.767	90.200	100.100	109.700	120.100	130.417	140.850	152.017	165.233	181.683	199.658	214.733	223.025	230.567	235.025	242.858	249.258	258.625	273.375	285.425	300.850	316.483	326.267	337.083	349.017	363.942	369.157	378.284	391.055	407.824	424.981	440.149	442.580	458.343	479.315	502.510	519.618	528.008	526.785	532.081	522.392	533.925	549.458	556.941	567.976	568.885

Adjust prescription drugs prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2026 / CPI in 2025 * 2025 USD value = 2026 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Prescription drugs was 567.976 in the year 2025 and 568.885 in 2026:

568.885 / 567.976 * $10 = $10.02

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $10 in 2025 has the same "purchasing power" as $10.02 in 2026 (in the CPI category of Prescription drugs).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Prescription drugs in 1947. In addition to prescription drugs, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.