AMA expands advocacy efforts supporting drug price transparency

HONOLULU — Given that pharmaceutical companies, pharmacy benefit managers and health insurance companies have overlapping roles that affect prescription drug prices, physicians at the Interim Meeting of the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted new policy to expand the scope of its federal and state advocacy efforts to increase transparency of drug pricing.

“As spikes in prescription drug prices occur without justification, the American Medical Association believes we need more transparency to protect patients from drug price gouging and manipulation,” said AMA President-elect Barbara L. McAneny, M.D. “Greater transparency among pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers and health plans will shed light on the rationale for drug price increases and why patients pay what they do for their medications.”