CSRO President, Dr. Madelaine Feldman testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health’s hearing
entitled: “Improving Drug Pricing Transparency and Lowering Prices for American
Consumers.”
Dr. Feldman, testifying on behalf of the Alliance for Specialty
Medicine, addressed legislation being considered by the committee that seeks to
lower drug prices in the United States. In particular, she commented on how the
current pharmaceutical rebate system promulgated by PBMs reduces access to and
affordability of care for patients, and expressed support for legislation that
would improve transparency in this system.
In addition, Dr. Feldman urged Congress to ensure the
maintenance of access to pharmaceutical samples for specialty medications
regularly used by rheumatologists and other specialty physicians. CSRO and the
Alliance for Specialty Medicine are concerned that legislation requiring
pharmaceutical manufacturers to disclose certain information about the samples
they disseminate would deter them from providing samples in the future. This
would delay access to care while patients are forced to wade through cumbersome
utilization management restrictions.
Click below to watch a video of the hearing,