Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton unveiled a plan in response to "unjustified" price increases for long-available prescription drugs like EpiPens, according to a campaign release.
Here are four key points of Ms. Clinton's plan.
1. Increase federal oversight and enforcement of drug companies. Ms. Clinton plans to develop a group of federal agency representatives to work with patient advocates, independent drug pricing experts and state and local regulators to investigate "unjustified" prescription drug increases on critically needed, long-available treatments with no competition. The group will determine an unjustified price using three criteria — price increase trajectory, production cost and relative patient value.
2. Provide alternative treatments and enhance competition. She plans to intervene to make alternative treatments available and support manufacturers of substitute treatments to lower drug prices and increase competition.
3. Implement emergency purchases of alternative treatments from other countries. Ms. Clinton wants to extend access to alternative treatments through establishing emergency importation of drugs from other countries with "strong safety standards," the release reads.
4. Penalize drug companies for unjustified price hikes. She plans to fine or increase rebates from pharmaceutical companies who increase drug prices to unjustified amounts. Ms. Clinton said the fines would be turned around and used to expand prescription drug access and competition.
The new plan is in combination with her broader 2015 drug plan addressing prescription drug costs.
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