Congress forbade pharmacies to hide better prices for drugs from customers

The US Congress abolished the nondisclosure clause that prevented pharmacists from telling patients whether they could buy drugs at a lower price than those sold under insurance, writes Metro.

Photo: Depositphoto

On October 11, President Donald Trump signed two laws that were almost unanimously adopted by Congress last month - the Law on Knowing the Lowest Prices and the Law on Drug Prices for Patients.

“Look at the prices in our country and the prices for the same drugs in another country, they are much lower in another country, although they are made in the same plant and by the same company,” Trump said, adding that he decided to fix this.

New laws allow, but do not require pharmacists to tell customers about whether they can buy the medicines prescribed for them cheaper. The customer must request this information.

“American patients should know that you can always ask your pharmacist if you are getting the best price on your prescription. This is just the President's first step to improve health care for Americans,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.

Until now, pharmaceutical companies signed a so-called non-disclosure document at the conclusion of a contract with pharmacies and set a certain price for drugs, and pharmacies had no right to say that the same medicine is available at a lower price. Pharmacy workers who violated this situation could lose access to medicines.

Critics of the bill point out that non-disclosure law was not the main cause of high drug prices.

“As a country, we spend about $450 billion on prescription drugs. Occasional savings on out-of-pocket drug purchases fall far short of meeting the needs of people who need help,” said Steven Knevel, spokesman for the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen.

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