Week in review: The latest from PhRMA

11 years of PPA – This week, we celebrated the 11^th anniversary of the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) by launching a mobile app.  The new app will offer a single point of access to more than 475 public and private patient assistance programs, including 200 offered by biopharmaceutical companies.   Learn more about the importance of empowering patients and caregivers to obtain information about their prescription assistance options through PPA.

The dangers of drug importation – The tightly operated drug distribution system in the United States allows us to run the safest medicine supply chain in the world.  Learn why proposals to import unapproved medicines from other countries would undermine our system and make patients vulnerable to counterfeit, adulterated or substandard medicines. 

Improving value frameworks – Our health care market continues to move toward a system that better measures and rewards value.  Tools that allow patients and consumers to assess the value of medical tests, medicines and health care services can help support this system. Read more about our principles for getting these tools right.

IP projections critical to medical innovation – A new report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) highlights the importance of intellectual property protections in advancing innovation. Learn how these protections lead to life-saving medicines and growth of the biopharmaceutical industry.  

Phasing in the FDA’s proposed quality metrics program – In 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued guidance that requiring manufacturers to provide certain data on an annual basis. Due to concerns of an implementing a mandatory quality program, we believe the rulemaking process could be completed within an initial two-year voluntary implementation phase.  Read more about our recommendations.

Medicare Monday – The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) met this week to vote on a series of recommendations regarding the Part D program. We highlighted a few items that beneficiaries should look out for including, changes to the program’s coverage gap, the low-income subsidy and the protected classes policy.