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# PhRMA DTC Pricing Effort Aims to Stave Off Regulations
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/phrma-dtc-pricing-effort-aims-to-stave-off-regulations/
- Published: 2018-10-15T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-15T00:38:10.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: FDA Policy/General, #legacy-id-D5142583

Presumably to avert new FDA regulations or legislation on adding price information in direct-to-consumer (DTC) ads, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has modified its existing voluntary [DTC principles](http://phrma-docs.phrma.org/files/dmfile/PhRMA%5FGuiding%5FPrinciples%5F2018.pdf?ref=fdaweb.com) to require member companies to include information in their television ads about how consumers can find pricing details on the advertised product. “All DTC television advertising that identifies a medicine by name should include direction as to where patients can find information about the cost of the medicine, such as a company-developed Web site, including the list price and average, estimated, or typical patient out-of-pocket costs, or other context about the potential cost of the medicine.”

On 10/15, [HHS proposed](https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2018/10/15/what-you-need-to-know-about-putting-drug-prices-in-tv-ads.html?ref=fdaweb.com) requiring that DTC television ads for prescription drugs include their list price. Recently, House Republicans derailed a Trump-supported amendment to a health care spending bill that would have required drug companies to include list prices in their DTC advertising ([see story](https://www.fdaweb.com/dtc-drug-pricing-amendment-shot-down-on-hill/)). In anticipation of the HHS proposal, PhRMA announced its planned DTC priniciples modification, arguing that simply including list prices would be confusing and misleading because, depending on insurance coverage, a patient’s out-of-pocket costs could be minimal.

“PhRMA remains concerned that just including list prices in these advertisements is not sufficient and could discourage patients from seeking needed medical care,” the group said. “List prices are not a good indicator of what a patient will pay at the pharmacy counter and do not reflect the substantial discounts and rebates negotiated by insurers and pharmacy benefit managers. In addition, any such requirement would raise significant legal issues, including First Amendment concerns.”

  
Additionally, PhRMA announced that is it is partnering with consumer, patient, pharmacist, provider and consumer groups – including CancerCare, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the National Consumers League, the National Community Pharmacists Association, the National Hispanic Council on Aging and the National Medical Association – to develop a new patient affordability platform that will launch in early 2019.