Kaiser Health News: High Drug Prices Prompt Demands For Transparency

Outraged by exorbitant prices for certain prescription drugs, lawmakers in at least 11 states have introduced legislation that would require pharmaceutical companies to justify their prices by disclosing how much they spend on research, manufacturing and marketing. The bills are similar to a provision in President Barack Obama’s proposed 2017 budget. The sponsors of the measures say they have a variety of goals: to educate policymakers and consumers about the reason for high prescription drug prices; to shame pharmaceutical companies into moderating their prices; and, in some states, including Massachusetts, to actually place a ceiling on prices that are determined to be unjustified.

Read more: http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2016/03/07/high-drug-prices-prompt-demands-for-transparency