In a press release, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) detailed that it has sent a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with the goal of communicating the need for the drug price negotiation program to incorporate real-world experiences from both patients and physicians and bolster transparency. Additionally, the ACR emphasized that the CMS should ensure that drug pricing timelines do not hinder novel treatment innovation, establish public comment periods spanning 2 to 3 months, encourage accessibility for drug negotiation methodologies, and issue further price negotiation policies using the customary regulatory process. “[T]he real-world experiences of patients and prescribers must be integrated into any attempts to identify and negotiate fair drug prices. The ACR appreciates the opportunity to contribute its experience to CMS’s process,” concluded Douglas White, MD, PhD, President of the American College of Rheumatology.
May 25, 2023