Bill > S527

This bill requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to conduct a comprehensive study of intermediaries in the pharmaceutical supply chain and submit detailed reports to Congress. Specifically, the bill mandates that within one year, the FTC must produce a report examining several key areas, including the practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), such as whether they charge higher prices to payers than they reimburse pharmacies, steer patients to pharmacies they own, use proprietary pharmacy data for competitive advantage, and manipulate drug formularies to favor higher-cost medications. The report must also analyze competition trends in the healthcare supply chain, evaluate how companies contract with intermediaries, identify legal or regulatory obstacles to enforcing antitrust laws, and provide policy recommendations to improve transparency and prevent anticompetitive behavior. Additionally, the bill requires an interim report after 180 days and a separate report detailing complaints about sole-source drug manufacturers, the FTC's ability to take enforcement actions, and recommendations for strengthening antitrust enforcement in the pharmaceutical industry. The ultimate goal is to understand and potentially address factors contributing to high prescription drug prices and reduce anti-competitive practices in the pharmaceutical market.

Justice

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/527/all-info