President Donald Trump spent a portion of Tuesday night's congressional address speaking about high drug prices. Todd Ebert, president and CEO of the Healthcare Supply Chain Association, on Wednesday issued a statement responding to the president's remarks.
Here are four quotes from Mr. Ebert's statement, based on an emailed release.
1. On President Trump's focus on drug costs.
"HSCA and its group purchasing organization members applaud the president for his focus on finding solutions to the persistent issue of rising drug costs. We are committed to lowering costs and increasing competition and innovation in the healthcare marketplace."
2. On price spikes.
"Price spikes often occur where there are only one or two manufacturers for a given product in the market and where a lack of competition among manufacturers allows high prices to go largely unchecked. The current backlog for abbreviated new drug applications at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has exacerbated the problem of price spikes."
3. On generic drugs.
"Generic injectables are the workhorses of acute care facilities and bring tremendous value to healthcare providers and the patients they serve. Price spikes for these drugs are causing significant challenges for patients and providers alike."
4. On increasing competition.
"Increased competition in the generic drug market is critical to ensuring continued supply and mitigating significant price spikes that jeopardize patient access to care … HSCA and its members support common-sense policy solutions to increase competition in the generic market, including allowing priority review for generic injectable drugs with two or fewer manufacturers."
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