The Drug-price Transparency for Consumers Act of 2025 Introduced

The Drug-price Transparency for Consumers Act of 2025 Introduced

Sometime in the future, as you are watching your favorite television show or sporting event, amongst the DTC ads featuring butterflies and very happy people you may also be seeing drug prices float across your screen.

Recently, The Drug-price Transparency for Consumers Act of 2025, was re-introduced at the beginning of Congress by Senators Dick Durbin and Chuck Grassley. The legislation aims to set a new standard in the transparency of prescription drug advertising by mandating the inclusion of the list price of prescription drugs in all direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements, a move intended to provide consumers with pricing information upfront.

Specifically, the bill stipulates that all DTC advertisements for prescription drugs and biological products must disclose the list price, defined as the Wholesale Acquisition Cost. This requirement is designed to empower patients, allowing them to make more informed healthcare decisions amidst the often-overwhelming flood of drug commercials.

According to a press release issued by Senator Durbin’s office, the pharmaceutical industry spends $6 billion in DTD drug advertising on an annual basis, with the average American seeing nine DTC ads per day. The press release also points to studies that have shown patients to be more likely to ask their doctor for a specific drug that they have seen ads for – “even if such medication is not the most clinically appropriate for the patient or if a lower cost generic medication may be available.”

A 2021 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that two-thirds of industry spending from 2016 to 2018 was on just 39 drugs. During that same time period, the 39 drugs were responsible for more than half of Medicare’s spending on drugs (58%).

The legislation states that “it is the sense of Congress that” a “lack of transparency in pricing for pharmaceuticals has led to a lack of competition for such pharmaceuticals” and that despite pricing being “ubiquitous,” when it comes to prices of prescription drugs, they are “shrouded in secrecy and limited to those who subscribe to expensive drug reporting services.”

The theory goes, by requiring direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements to consumers to include a disclosure of the list price, patients will be able to make an informed decision on their prescription. The Senators believe it may also lead pharmaceutical companies to reconsider their pricing and advertising tactics as well. The legislation states that through transparency into drug prices, consumers will know “if they can afford to complete a course of therapy before deciding to initiate that course of therapy.”

Senator Durbin remarked on the necessity of this transparency, stating, “Big Pharma spends billions each year to flood the airwaves with commercials that inflate spending by steering patients to the most expensive medications, despite cheaper, more effective drugs being on the market. Patients deserve to know the price of their medication, and a dose of transparency is the prescription Big Pharma needs.”

Echoing this sentiment, Senator Grassley emphasized the common-sense nature of the bill, “Knowing what something costs before buying it is just common sense. Disclosing the list price of prescription drugs in advertisements is a no-nonsense way to empower healthcare consumers to make informed decisions about their care. It also spurs competition, which leads to lower prescription drug costs.”

The introduction of this bill aligns with Senators Durbin and Grassley’s longstanding efforts to enhance drug price transparency. The bill has garnered broad bipartisan support and endorsements from major health organizations in the past including the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association, reflecting a strong consensus on the need for greater transparency in pharmaceutical advertising.

In the coming weeks, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will be going though confirmation hearings, so don’t be surprised if this piece of legislation to be brought up at that time.

For further details on the bill and the official statements from the sponsors, you can visit the press releases on their respective official sites:

The Drug-price Transparency for Consumers Act of 2025,

Press release from Senator Durbin

Press release from Senator Grassley

Consumer RightsDrug Cost Transparencydrug price transparencyDTC LegislationDurbin and GrassleyHealthcare ReformNEWpharmaceutical marketingPolicy Advocacyprescription drug advertisingSenate Legislation
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