WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the House passed a government spending bill that included bipartisan prescription drug pricing reforms long supported by Patients For Affordable Drugs Now and our patient advocates. Q1/Q2, originally a provision of the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, and the included PBM reforms are steps toward lowering drug prices by strengthening competition and improving transparency in the drug supply chain.
P4ADNOW is proud to support these reforms and to work alongside patients who have consistently urged Congress to take action to address high prescription drug costs. These measures were previously included in the December 2024 continuing resolution, before they were removed from the final package after powerful outside interests weighed in.
In response, the CEO of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, Merith Basey, released the following statement:
“Every day, U.S. patients are forced to navigate a drug price system that is rigged against them. These bipartisan reforms — driven in large part by patient advocacy — are steps toward a fairer system that promotes competition and holds powerful middlemen accountable. While this package does not include everything patients are calling for, the fact that 9 out of 10 Americans are demanding Congress do more to lower drug prices makes it crystal clear there is strong public support and an urgent need for further action. We urge the Senate to move quickly to advance these reforms and continue the bipartisan work needed to deliver lasting, systemic change for patients.”
The package includes:
- Q1/Q2 Provision, Lower Costs, More Transparency Act
- Addresses a critical barrier to generic drug approvals by requiring the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to provide clearer guidance on ingredient differences, helping generic manufacturers bring more affordable alternatives to market faster.
- The CBO estimates this reform would save taxpayers $871 million over 10 years.
- When one generic drug enters the market, it can drive a medication’s price down by 39%, with six or more reducing the cost by 95%.
- PBM Reforms
- Delinks PBM revenue from the price of a drug in Medicare Part D, reducing incentives to steer patients toward higher-priced drugs.
- Requires PBMs to report pricing and other key data to Part D plan sponsors, increasing transparency and accountability.
Patients continue to call on Congress to tackle shady practices that keep drug prices high — including patent thickets, product hopping, and pay-for-delay deals — and work to advance bipartisan competition reforms that would shorten monopoly periods and speed lower-cost generics and biosimilars to market.
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Patients For Affordable Drugs Now is the only national, patient advocacy organization focused exclusively on policies to lower drug prices. We empower and mobilize patients and allies, hold accountable those in power, and fight to shape and achieve system-changing policies that make prescription drugs affordable for all people in the United States. P4ADNow is bipartisan and does not accept funding from organizations that profit from the development or distribution of prescription drugs. To learn more, visit: PatientsForAffordableDrugsNOW.org