he opposed importing drugs from other countries to ease rising drug prices. Azar said he opposed unsafe importation, cases where the safety of a pharmaceutical product could not be verified. When Paul said he was referring to European countries and Canada, which have standards comparable to those of the FDA, Azar said that the safety of some products was not clear.
“It’s simply untrue, it’s a canard,” Paul said.
Paul, who worked as a physician before entering politics, urged for patent reform. He claimed that companies are “gaming the system” to extend protection for their products and fend off generic competitors. On this matter, Azar echoed some views previously expressed by FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who has called for more generic competition. Azar said that improving the availability of generic drugs would reduce drug prices. He also said that he would support reforms that would prevent companies from simply filing for new patents on small changes to a product as a way of extending its patent life.
Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, and Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat, raised constituent concerns from their respective states. Collins noted that an NBC investigation found that prescription drugs were cheaper when patients paid out of pocket rather than through their insurance plans. She added that gag orders prevented Maine pharmacists from informing patients of the price difference. Azar said that such gag orders should not be happening.
Baldwin pointed to a constituent whose multiple sclerosis drug rose in price over time to $90,000 a year, with no change in its ingredients or manufacturing process. The woman and her husband decided to stop the medication. Azar, who spoke repeatedly throughout the hearing about his wish to reduce drug prices, said Baldwin’s example shows the need to improve transparency as a way of helping patients understand what they are paying for.
Several Democrats asked Azar about his support for the Affordable Care Act. They also asked for his thoughts on steps that President Trump’s administration has taken to reduce funding to market the health plans sold through exchanges created under the ACA, as well as to shorten the period in which people can enroll in such plans. Azar said that if confirmed, his role will be to uphold and implement the laws passed by Congress, including the ACA. Azar said he believes some changes need to be made to the ACA, but did not specify what reforms he would seek.
Maggie Hassan, a Democrat from New Hampshire, was the only committee member who engaged Azar at length about the nation’s opioid crisis. She specifically asked for his support to seek at least $45 billion in supplemental funding from Congress, a figure that she said has bipartisan support.
Azar said that addressing the opioid epidemic calls for a combination of regulatory changes, steps to prevent drug abuse, drug enforcement, and treatment for addicts. Azar was unfamiliar with Hassan’s dollar figure.
“I don’t know the number,” he said. “But if I am confirmed, I will fight for the resources that we need.”
Image by Flickr user Kevin Dooley via a Creative Commons license.
