Saturday, March 05, 2005

New Vermont Law Requires Drug Companies To Disclose Wholesale Prices

"Under state legislation that is the 'first of its kind,' drug manufacturers beginning Tuesday will be required to disclose to Vermont physicians the average wholesale prices of individual drugs and other products in the same therapeutic class," the Wall Street Journal reports.

The law marks an effort to "curb prescription drug prices by putting price information in the hands of doctors," according to the Journal.

However, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America spokesperson Wanda Moebius said, "The law doesn't reflect prices paid by patients with insurance or at a pharmacy, and so it's not a valid representation." She stated that using such disclosures for comparisons is like "comparing apples to oranges"

Read full story here.