Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White House May Consider Importing Drugs In Certain Cases Where There Is A Steep Price Hike
The Washington Post: Trump Administration To Explore Allowing Drug Imports To Counter Price Hikes
The Trump administration is cracking open the door to using prescription drugs imported from overseas — ones that have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration — to combat high drug prices in limited circumstances. The FDA announced on Thursday that it plans to create a working group to examine how to safely import drugs in a specific situation: when there's a sharp price increase for an off-patent drug produced by a single manufacturer. (McGinley, 7/19)
Stat: HHS Opens Door To Possibility Of Importing Some Drugs In Limited Cases
It’s an early step, but the idea behind it is one of the boldest the administration has yet proposed as it has laid out a series of ways to bring down the cost of prescription drugs. Although President Trump said on the campaign trail that he supports importing drugs from other countries as a way to lower prices for Americans, the notion has traditionally been more popular among Democrats. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the former presidential candidate, is one of its most vocal proponents. (Mershon, 7/19)
The Hill: Trump Administration To Explore Importing Prescription Drugs
Azar and FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb on Thursday stressed the working group will be narrowly focused, and any importation policies will be temporary. The group will only examine the importation of drugs not protected by patents or exclusivities. “Any policy that involves the importation of drugs would be temporary until adequate competition enters these categories,” Gottlieb said in a statement. (Wiexel, 7/19)
