The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee today held a hearing examining the administration’s blueprint to lower prescription drug prices. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar testified on steps the agency is taking to implement the blueprint. For example, Azar noted, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently unveiled updates to its drug-pricing dashboard and warned Medicare Part D plan sponsors that their contracts with pharmacies should not prevent the pharmacist from telling customers when they can get a better deal on a drug by paying cash; and the Food and Drug Administration also recently began publicly identifying drug companies suspected of blocking access to samples needed to test generic drugs. Among other actions, he said HHS is working to require drug companies to include their list price in their television commercials; give Medicare Part D plans market-based tools to negotiate better deals with drug companies; and “bring negotiation to Medicare Part B.”

Related News Articles

Headline
The Trump administration today announced steps drug manufacturers must take to lower prescription drug prices in the U.S. to "most favored nation" pricing, the…
Headline
The Department of Health and Human Services today issued a notice announcing a 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program as a voluntary mechanism for qualifying drug…
Headline
The Department of Health and Human Services May 20 announced it has identified specific pricing targets for pharmaceutical manufacturers to meet to satisfy…
Headline
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services May 12 released draft guidance for the third round of negotiations for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation…
Headline
The White House May 12 released an executive order to reduce prescription drug costs by allowing consumers to make direct purchases from drug manufacturers at…
Headline
The White House April 15 released an executive order directing federal agencies to undertake a broad range of tasks aimed at reducing the costs of prescription…