Tag: prescription

Under Biden Administration, Will Federal Drug Pricing Transparency Efforts Continue to Outpace State Laws?

Merle M. DeLancey Jr.

During 2019 and 2020, states enacted fewer laws requiring drug manufacturers to disclose pricing and related information. Initially, the slowdown may have been due to federal actions to rein in drug prices through the Trump administration’s multiple executive orders. Thereafter, states were focused on responding to the pandemic and drug pricing was understandably placed on the back burner.

Circumstances have since changed. We now have a new president and administration, and the country is hopefully turning the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic. Inevitably, the federal government and states will again turn their focus to drug prices. While the Trump administration’s executive orders made for good public sound bites, they had little to no actual impact on drug prices. At the end of the day, most of the Trump administration’s initiatives never made it to the regulatory rulemaking phase and those that did were met with legal challenges.

Only a month in, the Biden administration has issued multiple executive orders and memoranda reversing prior executive orders and freezing pending regulations and enforcement policies with respect to existing regulations. After a brief discussion of what we have seen in the early days of the Biden administration in terms of drug pricing, this article reviews new and existing state laws requiring drug manufacturers to report pricing and other information. Thereafter, we again question the efficacy of the state price transparency efforts and what manufacturers should be doing in terms of compliance.

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Biden Administration Already Impacting Drug Prices

Merle M. DeLancey Jr.

The Trump administration issued numerous Executive Orders seeking to rein in drug prices. (See Recent and Possible Executive Orders on Drug Pricing: What You Need to Know – Government Contracts Navigator and Administration Issues Executive Order Tying Medicare Drug Costs to International Prices – Government Contracts Navigator.) While the Executive Orders made for good sound bites, none of them actually impacted drug prices. At the end of the day, most of the Trump administration initiatives never made it to the regulatory rulemaking phase, and those that did were met with legal challenges. Since then, in less than a month since taking office, the Biden administration has issued multiple Executive Orders and memoranda reversing the Trump-era Executive Orders and freezing pending regulations and enforcement policies with respect to existing regulations. Beginning on its first day, the Biden administration took action impacting drug prices and potentially signaled, directly or indirectly, the polices we may see over the next four years. The new administration’s actions have continued at a rapid pace. Continue reading “Biden Administration Already Impacting Drug Prices”

Recent and Possible Executive Orders on Drug Pricing: What You Need to Know

Merle M. DeLancey Jr.

On July 24, 2020, President Trump signed three Executive Orders aimed at lowering prescription drug costs and increasing patients’ access to life-saving medications. A fourth Executive Order was discussed, which could reduce the prices Medicare Part B pays for drugs based upon international prices, unless the pharmaceutical industry implements measures in the next 30 days. Leaving politics and rhetoric aside, below are the key facts regarding the Executive Orders.

First Executive Order: Access to Affordable Life-Saving Medications

The Order: Click here to view the Order.

Effective Date:  July 24, 2020

Purpose: Requires Federally Qualified Health Centers (“FQHCs”) to pass on the discounted prices they pay for insulin and epinephrine to low income patients. FQHCs are federally funded, community-based health care providers serving low income patients and underserved areas. Under the Health and Human Services’ (“HHS”) 340B Drug Discount Program, drug manufacturers charge FQHCs statutorily discounted prices, sometimes as low as $0.01, for drugs including insulin and epinephrine. But FQHCs are not required to pass on the discounted prices to their patients. This Executive Order requires FQHCs to make insulin and epinephrine available to their patients at the price paid by the FQHC. The FQHC is permitted to charge a minimal administration fee. Continue reading “Recent and Possible Executive Orders on Drug Pricing: What You Need to Know”

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