drug costs

Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to add controls on so-called middlemen in prescription transactions. Independent pharmacy owners have complained that PBMs have taken control of the financial market in the business.

Amazon will launch RxPass, a subscription service for customers who have Prime memberships. People will pay $5 a month to fill as many prescriptions as they need from a list of about 50 generic medications.

Gov. Ron DeSantis outlined proposed legislation that would target the health care "middlemen" to try to lower prescription costs. He said his plan will increase transparency and help small drug stores.

Colorado, New Hampshire and New Mexico are also seeking federal permission to import cost-lowering prescription drugs from Canada. President Joe Biden endorsed the approach in his 2020 campaign but has yet to approve any state plan.

The government soon will stop paying for the covid drug that has proved to be the most effective at keeping patients alive and out of the hospital.

Some insurers and employers are tapping into assistance programs meant for individual patients. The concern: Some costly drugs could be harder for patients to access.

Since pharmaceutical companies started funding their FDA drug applications 30 years ago, the agency’s reviews have gone much faster — perhaps too fast.

The Inflation Reduction Act gives Medicare historic new powers to limit prescription drug prices. But the pharmaceutical industry is already lobbying to dull their impact.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Tampa, came after AHCA Secretary Simone Marstiller submitted a Freedom of Information Act request seeking numerous records about importation proposals by Florida and other states.

The bill enables the federal health secretary to negotiate the prices of some drugs for Medicare. It also caps out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for people on Medicare at $2,000, effective in 2025.