WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, Senator Rick Scott released the response from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) to a letter sent by the Senator and colleagues last month asking that they provide solutions to address the rising cost of prescription drugs.

Read more in The Hill article, Rick Scott: PhRMA hasn't provided 'a single answer' on lower drug prices:

“… Scott and seven of his Republican colleagues wrote to PhRMA president Stephen Ubl on June 5 asking the trade group to detail their solutions to the problem. The group has ramped up its lobbying this year to push back on many proposals that target the drug industry over high costs.

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Ubl responded on last Thursday, July 11, touting that drug prices fell 0.6 percent in 2018, which he said is the largest decline in prices in 46 years.

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That answer wasn't good enough for Scott. “[U]nfortunately, their response didn’t provide a single answer or solution to our questions. Not one," he said in his response Monday.

“Families across the country are struggling to afford life-saving medication, and the industry cannot come up with one idea about how to lower list prices of prescription drugs. That’s unacceptable. This is a crisis that demands immediate attention. All talk, no action is the old Washington way – but not anymore,” he said in a statement.

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Scott also has his own legislation, the America First Drug Pricing Plan, which he introduced in May.

The bill would have pharmacies inform patients on what it would cost to purchase drugs out-of-pocket instead of using their insurance. Insurance companies would have to tell patients the total costs of drugs prior to open enrollment.

It would also require that companies can’t charge consumers more for prescription drugs than they charge consumers in other industrialized nations.”

Read the full article in The Hill HERE.

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