Prescription drug pricing on a Bitcoin standard: Rethinking health care affordability amid fiat inflation

Between 2019 and 2023, the U.S. Federal Reserve increased the M2 money supply by over 40%, adding more than $6.3 trillion to the economy. This rapid monetary expansion has led to increased consumer prices across nearly all sectors-including health care-and reignited public discourse on inflation and purchasing power. Prescription drug prices have risen steadily in fiat terms, disproportionately affecting uninsured and marginalized populations. This commentary explores a novel framework: examining prescription drug affordability on a Bitcoin standard. Bitcoin, unlike fiat currency, operates with a predictable and transparent monetary issuance schedule. It is also gaining increasing legitimacy within the scientific community, with several research institutions now offering it as a form of participant reimbursement in clinical and behavioral studies. We evaluate 7 years of National Average Drug Acquisition Cost data (2019-2025) against Bitcoin's average annual price, finding that while prescription drugs have risen in fiat terms, they have declined significantly in Bitcoin terms. These findings suggest that measuring affordability through alternative monetary frameworks may offer insight into reducing long-term health care expenses and improving equity.