Regulatory/Legislative News

To the Editor:

HHS recently enacted one of the first concrete steps toward President Donald J. Trump’s pledge to lower drug prices in finalizing a federal rule requiring the list prices of certain drugs be included in television ads.

Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt approved legislation on May 21 that will allow optometrists to practice within retail establishments.

The Justice Department brief filed on May 1 amounts to the Trump administration picking and choosing what parts of the Affordable Care Act should stay in place and also suggests it does not understand the law, experts told Healio Primary Care Today.

by Sally Greenberg

The FDA, as part of the Biosimilars Action Plan, is acting to promote competition in the biologic developer market by providing final guidance for “interchangeable” biologics on the pathway to approval, according to a release from the organization.

The Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety and the American Optometric Association voiced support for some of the changes the FTC proposed to the Contact Lens Rule last week, but the groups were still dissatisfied with several points, including the prescription verification process and paperwork burden on the doctor and patient.

Drug companies that make prescription pharmaceuticals covered by Medicare or Medicaid must begin including the list price — also known as the Wholesale Acquisition Cost — in their television ads if that price is $35 or more for a month’s supply or the usual course of therapy under a final rule that HHS Secretary Alex Azar announced today.

Optometrists in Maryland will be permitted to independently treat glaucoma, remove foreign bodies, order lab tests and prescribe all topical drugs and most orals upon completion of a 10-hour education course as a result of an update to the state’s optometry practice law.

The Federal Trade Commission is seeking public comment on changes it recently proposed to its Contact Lens Rule.