Senate Passes Bipartisan Bill Cosponsored by Senator Hassan to Prohibit “Pharmacy Gag Clauses” That Cause Consumers to Pay Higher Prices for Prescription Drugs

WASHINGTON – A bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Senator Maggie Hassan to prohibit so-called “pharmacy gag clauses” that conceal prescription drug prices from patients passed the U.S. Senate today. Pharmacy gag clauses forbid pharmacists from proactively telling consumers if their prescription would cost less if they paid for it out of pocket rather than through their insurance plan, and pharmacists who disobey these clauses can face significant penalties. The bipartisan Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act would forbid these gag clauses. 

“It is completely nonsensical that pharmacists are barred from telling their customers if they could save money by buying prescription drugs out-of-pocket instead of using their insurance plans,” Senator Hassan said. “This bipartisan bill will give patients information about the most affordable options for their medications; but we have far more work to do to address the skyrocketing price of prescription drugs and hold big pharma accountable.” 

Senator Hassan has a record of taking on big pharma and fighting to lower drug prices for consumers. The Senator joined colleagues in introducing the Affordable Medications Act, which will help hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for outrageously high prices and bring down costs for both consumers and taxpayers by allowing Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs, permitting the safe importation of affordable prescription drugs from places like Canada, ending the senseless tax breaks for drug companies that allow them to take tax deductions on the billions of dollars they spend on advertising, and more.

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