Pharmaceutical Processing World

  • Home
  • Regulatory
    • Recalls
  • Pharmaceutical Processing
  • Facility
  • Supply Chain
  • Equipment and Materials
  • Contract Manufacturing
  • Resources
    • Voices
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE

U.S. Drugmakers May Have to Disclose Drug Prices in TV Ads

By Catherine Sbeglia | October 16, 2018

In the latest efforts by the Trump administration to lower drug prices, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar revealed Monday a proposal that would require pharmaceutical companies to provide the list prices of certain drugs in direct-to-consumer advertisements. The proposal, drafted as a new federal rule, would require drug manufacturers to disclose in ads the list price of a 30-day supply of any drug that is covered through Medicare and Medicaid and costs more than $35 a month.

“Patients deserve to know what a given drug will cost when they’re being told about the benefits and risks it may have,” Azar commented in a speech Monday before the National Academy of Medicine, “and they deserve to know when a drug company has pushed its prices to abusive levels, and they deserve to know this every time they see a drug advertised to them on TV.”  He added, “Sometimes it takes government to make the first move, to disrupt a broken system, and to lay down new rules of the road.”

Azar, a former top executive at drug giant Eli Lilly, has led the administration’s crack down on the pharmaceutical industry, while striving to eliminate any suspicion of alignment with his former pharma colleagues. 

The announcement came hours after the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) trade group announced that it will voluntarily begin telling consumers in TV ads where they can go to find information about costs, beginning April 15, 2019. Customers will be directed to a website with information about price estimates after insurance. 

“We appreciate their effort,” Azar said. “But placing information on a website is not the same as putting it in an ad.”

PhRMA’s 33 members include names like Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, and other major biopharma companies. The group believes the proposed rule is unconstitutional because it infringes on their First Amendment rights, and do not think the administration can force them to include list prices in ads. 

(Sources: The Washington Post; CNBC)

Related Articles Read More >

Doctor, woman patient and tablet for consulting with results, medical info and talk for healthcare with mockup space. Japanese medic, digital touchscreen or show video for surgery, wellness or advice.
Putting patients first in clinical trials
Confidently navigate the transition from bench to batch
Merck
FDA approves Merck’s Winrevair to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension
kobayashi pharmaceutical logo
Report: Japan health authorities investigate Kobayashi Pharmaceutical factory after five deaths
“ppw
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest news, technologies, and developments in Pharmaceutical Processing.

DeviceTalks Tuesdays

DeviceTalks Tuesdays

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
Pharmaceutical Processing World
  • Subscribe to our E-Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • R&D World
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • DeviceTalks
  • MassDevice
  • Medical Design & Outsourcing
  • MEDICAL TUBING + EXTRUSION
  • Medical Design Sourcing
  • Medtech100 Index
  • R&D 100 Awards

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Pharmaceutical Processing World

  • Home
  • Regulatory
    • Recalls
  • Pharmaceutical Processing
  • Facility
  • Supply Chain
  • Equipment and Materials
  • Contract Manufacturing
  • Resources
    • Voices
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE