WAC
The US list price of a drug — manufacturer to wholesaler, before any discounts or rebates.
Definition
Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC) is the manufacturer-set list price for a drug in the US, before discounts, rebates, or 340B pricing. It is the most-quoted price ("Humira costs $90k WAC") but rarely what is actually paid. Net price = WAC - rebates - discounts is typically 30-70% lower. Disclosed in DRX, Medi-Span, and First Databank.
See also
- NADAC — The CMS-published actual acquisition cost from a national survey of US pharmacies.
- ASP — The weighted average net selling price of a drug to all US purchasers.