U.S. Health & Human Services has released a final rule requiring drug manufacturers to list the expected monthly costs to consumers of the prescription drugs they advertise on TV.
The rule goes into effect in July and applies to all drugs that would cost more than $35 per month for a 30-day supply or typical course of treatment. The actual text that must be displayed is: “The list price for a [30-day supply of] [typical course of treatment with] [name of prescription drug or biological product] is [insert list price]. If you have health insurance that covers drugs, your cost may be different.” The final rule also describes the way the text must be displayed in the ad to avoid the typical small-font, bad-contrast, hard-to-read disclaimers on many advertisements.
In releasing the rule, HHS wrote, “Up until now, drug companies were required to disclose the major side effects a drug can have—but not the effect that buying the drug could have on your wallet.”