HHS drafting prescription drug pricing report

The omnibus spending bill signed into law by President Obama on Dec. 18 included a little-noticed provision directing HHS to create a report on prescription drug prices that is intended to influence political debates on drug pricing legislation.

The bill directs the secretary of HHS to submit a report to Congress by May 15 with data on "price changes of prescription drugs (net of rebates) since 2003" and access to prescription drugs by patients in Medicare Parts B and D, Medicaid, and through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The report also will include "health outcomes and patient satisfaction with care" in those programs, as well as "an analysis of the current cost and length of time necessary to bring new drugs to market." ...