HIS PLAN TO LOWER DRUG PRICES.
MR. SECRETARY, WELCOME BACK TO
THE PROGRAM.
STUART: AT THE TIME 100 DAYS
AGO, CRITICS SAID YOU CAN'T DO
IN 100 DAYS PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
DONE MORE TO RELIEF AND LOWER
DRUG PRICE I WOULD VENTURE TO
SAY THAN ALL PRESIDENTS BEFORE.
LAST MONTH WE APPROVED MORE
GENERIC DRUGS THAN EVER IN
HISTORY.
WE REDUCED GAMING IN THE SYSTEM
THAT PREVENTS GENERICS COMING ON
TO THE MARKETPLACE.
HE OPENED THE DOOR TO IMPORTING
FORBIDDEN TO BEING EDUCATED
CONSUMERS ABOUT THE LOWEST COST
OPTIONS THEY HAVE TO GET DRUGS.
THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE
ICEBERG.
WE'VE SEEN 60% FEWER PRICE
INCREASES OF BRAND DRUGS SINCE
THE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED HIS
BLUEPRINT 100 DAYS AGO.
THE RULES AS OPPOSED TO NEW
REGULATION.
WILL NEW REGULATION BE REQUIRED?
IT HAS TO GO THROUGH CONGRESS.
WILL THAT BE REQUIRED TO GET
FURTHER CUTS IN DRUG PRICES?
>> WE CONTINUE TO ACT WITH ALL
THE POWERS WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH
THE DRUG PRICING ISSUES WE
CONTINUE TO CALL ON CONGRESS TO
WE PRESENTED A WHOLE PACKAGE OF
REFORMS TO THE MEDICARE DRUG
PROGRAM THAT CAN REDUCE
OUT-OF-POCKET SPENDING FOR OUR
SENIORS, BRING RELIEF IN THE
PROGRAM.
WE HAVE A PLAN TO REDUCE GAMING
IN THE SYSTEM TO LET MORE
GENERICS ON TO THE MARKET.
WE WOULD CAP THE, WE WOULD
INCREASE THE PAYMENT PENALTIES
FOR COMPANIES THAT INCREASE DRUG
PRICES IN OUR PART B DRUG
PROGRAM.
TO BIG FARM THAT, THAT LETS THEM
INCREASE PRICES WITHOUT ANY KIND
OF PENALTY ON THEIR DRUGS.
SO THERE IS MUCH THAT CONGRESS
CAN AND SHOULD DO BUT WE'RE
CONTINUING TO ACT WITH THE
POWERS THAT WE HAVE.
STUART: THE ADMINISTRATION WANTS
OPIOID CRISIS.
I BELIEVE 23 STATES ARE SUING
THE OPIOID MAKERS.
I PUT IT TO YOU, MR. SECRETARY,
THAT IS THEIR APPROACH TO
GETTING RID OF THIS ADDICTION
PROBLEM BUT IT WILL INEVITABLY
IN THE LONG RUN RAISE THE PRICE
OF OPIOIDS WHICH MANY PEOPLE DO
RELY ON FOR THE RELIEF OF
EXTREME PAIN.
YOUR COMMENT, SIR.
>> THAT WON'T GET RID OF THE
OPIOID CRISIS BUT IT DOES HELP
DETERMINE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR HOW
WE GOT INTO THIS CRISIS IN OUR
COUNTRY.
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S DIRECTION, THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT JOINED IN
GENERAL AND FOR US TO WORK WITH
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IF THERE IS
CRISIS THAT RAVAGES OUR COUNTRY,
THAT THERE IS FULL
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THAT.
WE'RE NOT RELYING ON THAT TO
SOLVE THE CRISIS.
THAT IS ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY.
WE HAVE A MULTIFACTOR PLAN AT
THE STATE, LOCAL, FEDERAL LEVEL
THAT WILL TACKLE THIS CRISIS.
DEATHS ON MONTH BY MONTH BASIS
FOR OVERDOSE.
THE PLAN IS WORKING.
OVERNIGHT AND WE WON'T GO OUT OF
THIS OVERNIGHT.
STUART: I WANT TO ASK BUT THE
THIS IS BACK TO SCHOOL TIME WHEN
PARENTS REALLY NEED THESE
THINGS.
WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT THIS.
>> STUART WE'RE QUITE CONCERNED
MANUFACTURER ON.
I HAVE DIRECTED THE FDA TO USE
ALL THE REGULATORY TOOLS AT ITS
DISPOSAL TO BRING RELIEF TO
PARENTS AND CHILDREN AS THEY GO
BACK TO SCHOOL HERE.
YOU WILL SEE ACTION ON THAT VERY
SOON.
IN ADDITION AS YOU MAY KNOW THE
FDA APPROVED THE FIRST-EVER
GENERIC EPIPEN WHICH WE HOPE
WILL COME ON TO THE MARKET SOON.
STUART: HERE IS SOMETHING
PARENTS ARE ASKING ME, CAN YOU
USE RELIABLY EXPIRED EPIPEN?
ADMINISTRATION ISSUE OF
EXPIRATIONS BUT I WITH LIKE FDA
TO COMMENT ON THAT DIRECTLY
BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO PROVIDE
ANY TYPE OF DIRECTION TO PARENTS
THAT THE FDA HAS NOT DONE.
IN FACT, ONE ITEM THAT PARENTS
SHOULD LOOK TO FDA FOR IS, IN
TERMS OF THE REGULATORY ACTION
THAT WE'RE PURSUING, THE FDA HAS
JUST ANNOUNCED AS WE'VE BEEN ON
THE AIR A, THE EXTENSION OF
PARENTS TO CONTINUE TO USE
EPIPENS MIGHT BE SHOWN ON THE
LABEL AS BEING EXPIRED BUT FOR A
LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
THEY SHOULD SEEK THE GUIDANCE
FROM FDA'S WEBSITE.
CERTAIN LOTS BASED ON OUR
SCIENTIFIC REVIEW OF THE
EVIDENCE BUT, YOU HEARD IT HEAR
FIRST, STUART, BREAKING NEWS AS
WE'VE BEEN ON THE AIR.
WE LIKE THAT KIND OF THING.
WE'LL REBROADCAST THIS
THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE
PROGRAM.
THAT IS GOOD NEWS INDEED FOR A
LOT OF VERY WORRIED PARENT.