Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs online pharmacy is adding the oral contraceptive Yaz from Bayer to its list of discounted medicines. studiostockart/Getty Images hide caption
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The former Akorn pharmaceutical plant in Decatur, Ill., that made a wide range of generic drugs used in hospitals is being reopened under new ownership. Emilija Manevska/Getty Images hide caption
How rock-bottom prices drive shortages of generic drugs used in hospitals
A tornado damaged a Pfizer pharmaceutical plant in Rocky Mount, N.C., in July. The facility makes almost 25% of Pfizer's sterile injectable medicines used in the U.S. Sean Rayford/Getty Images hide caption
Angels for Change founder Laura Bray took on the problem of drug shortages when the hospital ran out of the drug that her then-9-year-old daughter needed to treat her leukemia. Laura Bray hide caption
The hospital ran out of her child's cancer drug. Now she's fighting to end shortages
Toni Dezomits' advanced ovarian cancer responded well to earlier rounds of chemo, but this spring, her doctors told her there was a shortage of a key chemo drug. Toni Dezomits hide caption
Some cancer drugs are in short supply, putting patients' care at risk. Here's why
Humira, the injectable biologic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, now faces its first competition from one of several copycat "biosimilar" drugs expected to come to market this year. Some patients spend $70,000 a year on Humira. JB Reed/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
Generics may not have the same cost-lowering power for specialty medicines, such as multiple sclerosis drugs, researchers find. That's true especially when other brand-name drugs are approved to treat a given disease before the first generic is approved. Gary Waters/Ikon Images/Getty Images hide caption
A new book, Bottle of Lies, reveals serious safety and purity concerns about the global generic-drug supply. Tetra Images/Getty Images hide caption
The Generic Drugs You're Taking May Not Be As Safe Or Effective As You Think
Pharmacy technician Peggy Gillespie fills a syringe with an antibiotic at ProMedica Toledo Hospital in Toledo, Ohio, in January. Tony Dejak/AP hide caption
An FDA inspection of this Ranbaxy facility in Toansa, Punjab, India, in 2014, revealed drug quality testing violations, resulting in the FDA prohibiting Ranbaxy from marketing drugs in the U.S. that were manufactured at this plant. Dhiraj Singh/Getty Images hide caption
Eli Lilly and Company, based in Indianapolis, is rolling out a half-price version of its insulin Humalog that will be sold as a generic. Darron Cummings/AP hide caption
Though his politics are right of center and he lobbied hard against the Affordable Care Act, Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch also has been key to passing several landmark health laws with bipartisan support. Bloomberg/Getty Images hide caption
How Sen. Orrin Hatch Shaped America's Health Care In Controversial Ways
Susie Christoff tried several drugs to cope with her painful psoriatic arthritis before finding Cosentyx worked the best. The problem was the cost. Chris Bartlett/for Kaiser Health News hide caption
Why The U.S. Remains The Most Expensive Market For 'Biologic' Drugs In The World
Intermountain Healthcare, whose Intermountain Medical Center Patient Tower in Murray, Utah, is seen here, is a leader in the generic drug company being launched by hospitals. Courtesy of Intermountain Healthcare hide caption
As the price of specialty drugs continues to rise, some health plans are shifting more of the cost to patients. Getty Images hide caption
Patients with private insurance like the drug coupons because they can help make specialty medicines more affordable. But health care analysts say the coupons may also discourage patients from considering appropriate lower-cost alternatives, including generic drugs. DNY59/Getty Images hide caption
Maryland's overturned law restricted the price of generic drugs, and had been hailed as a model for other states. It's one of a number of state initiatives designed to combat rapidly rising drug prices. Towfiqu Photography/Getty Images hide caption
Generic drugs used for other conditions are being given a second look as cancer treatments. Katherine Streeter for NPR hide caption
A Pinworm Medication Is Being Tested As A Potential Anti-Cancer Drug
Mylan CEO Heather Bresch defended pricing for the company's EpiPen on Capitol Hill in September. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP hide caption
In an emailed statement, Mylan told NPR, "To date, we know of no evidence that Mylan participated in price fixing." Jeff Swensen/Getty Images hide caption