Increasing usage of medicines, and the associated amount being spent, have become central issues in health policy and international trade discussions in recent years, including the potential reshaping of global markets and drug pricing that is being proposed by the U.S. administration. The policies many countries are pursuing are reshaping access, usage and pricing, with implications for hundreds of millions of patients globally. In addition, the continuation of historic trends in disease treatment and adoption of innovation result in a steady rise in the level of medicine use globally.