CSRxP Urges House Members To Maintain Transparency Provision In Senate-Passed Appropriations Bill

CSRxP-Supported Policy Enables HHS To Require Drug Price Disclosure In Direct-To-Consumer Advertising

Washington, D.C. – The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing (CSRxP) sent a letter urging members of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations to maintain a provision in the Senate-passed appropriations “minibus” package that would provide funding to enable the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to require disclosure of drug pricing information in direct-to-consumer advertising.

“The introduction and passage of this amendment in the Senate was a significant display of leadership toward giving consumers the transparency they need to understand the price of their medications,” CSRxP Executive Director Lauren Aronson said.  “We appreciate this bipartisan effort to increase transparency in the pharmaceutical industry and urge members of the House Committee on Appropriations to follow suit by ensuring this important policy is included in the final legislation.”

CSRxP has long supported increased transparency in direct-to-consumer advertising, including the disclosure of the price of the drug being advertised, and advocated in favor of the provision from the day Senators Grassley and Durbin introduced it.

The text of the letter is below and a full copy can be found here.

Dear Chairman Frelinghuysen, Ranking Member Lowey, Chairman Cole, and Ranking Member DeLauro:

The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing (CSRxP) is writing to encourage you to maintain the Senate’s inclusion of a provision in the final Labor-HHS Appropriations bill to provide funding to enable the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to require disclosure of drug pricing information in direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising. DTC advertising has the potential to lead to overutilization of high-cost prescription drugs, the costs of which are growing at an unsustainable rate and taking up a bigger portion of healthcare dollars each year. Requiring disclosure of drug pricing information in DTC advertising will meaningfully enhance drug pricing transparency and provide useful information for consumers as they engage in discussions with their providers about the best treatment options for their individual healthcare needs. Thus, CSRxP strongly supports and urges you to maintain the Senate’s inclusion of this provision in the final Labor-HHS Appropriations bill.

CSRxP is a nonpartisan coalition of organizations committed to fostering an informed discussion on sustainable drug pricing and to developing bipartisan, market-based solutions that promote competition, transparency, and value to improve affordability while maintaining patient access to innovative prescription drugs. Our members represent organizations including consumers, hospitals, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, employers, pharmacy benefit managers and insurance providers.

Thank you for your leadership on this important topic. We look forward to continuing to work with Congress and the Administration on bipartisan, market-based solutions that reduce prescription drug prices.

 

Sincerely,
Lauren Aronson
Executive Director
Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing