Senate HELP committee holds hearing on cost of prescription drugs

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions today held the second in a series of hearings on the cost of prescription drugs. “We have to make more progress to get at the root of the problem facing patients, which is the high prices set by drug manufacturers,” Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) said today. Murray said some plans being considered by the administration would “do little to actually target drug prices, and in fact some have actually targeted vital programs like 340B, which support hospitals and clinics in serving the very communities who cannot afford the drugs they need to stay healthy.” In a statement submitted to the Senate HELP committee in June, AHA offered specific recommendations to rein in drug costs, including increasing competition, innovation and transparency, promoting payment for value, improving access and aligning incentives. Today’s hearing focused on how the drug delivery system affects what patients pay. Witnesses included representatives from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Association for Accessible Medicines, Healthcare Distribution Alliance, Pharmaceutical Care Management Association and American Pharmacists Association.