Drug ads in the United States to disseminate price information

(Reuters) – TV ads on drugs made by big US companies will soon bring patients to information about the potential price of drugs, a pharmaceutical industry lobby said Monday.

This initiative, which will make it easier for consumers to find catalog prices and drug costs, aims to increase transparency and comes at a time of increased political control over drug prices.

The decision, announced by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), also comes several months after President Donald Trump unveiled a "blueprint" of proposed policies to give the government more weight on prices .

The decision is "a small step in the right direction," said US Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar, adding that the HHS would continue to implement the project for greater transparency. .

"The pharmaceutical industry remains reluctant to real price transparency, including the extremely high list prices paid by many patients," he said.

Current prices do not reflect the final amount paid by patients as they exclude discounts and discounts that drug manufacturers can offer.

PhRMA, which represents major US companies, including Abbvie Inc (ABBV.N), Pfizer and Merck, have stated that any advertisement identifying a drug by name should include an indication of where one can find information about its cost, for example the website 's website. a society.

The industry will also launch a new platform that will provide patients and providers with information about the costs and financial support for brand name drugs, the group said.

Seema Verma, director of the US Medicare Centers and Medicaid Services, welcomed the decision, but called for more measures to ensure that patients have all the information they need to learn about a drug.