Clinton introduces plan to stop price exploitation on old drugs read more at here www.spinonews.com/index.php/item/760-clinton-introduces-plan-to-stop-price-exploitation-on-old-drugs

Hillary Clinton has been active to criticize drug companies that raise the prices of old drugs to boost their profit margins  and accusing embattled pharmaceutical on a decades-old anti-parasitic drug.

Clinton's campaign unveiled her plan to prevent companies from exploiting these kinds of older drugs, using measures such as fines and the threat of importing alternative treatments.

Clinton's plan is carefully to target excessive treatments that haven't had any major improvements and have little or no competition.

That's a clear attempt to reassure the pharmaceutical industry that government involvement won't absorb the development of new, pricey treatments. According to the campaign, the initiative will be focused on drugs without patent protection.

Clinton proposes a new watchdog group that will be charged with protecting consumers from drug price hikes. The precise details are vague, but it would include people from federal agencies that oversee health, safety and competition and would be advised by patient advocates and drug pricing experts. This group would draw a line between price increases that are acceptable and those that are not.

When a company crosses into price-gouging territory, that group could impose fines, permit importing similar drugs or allow the government to directly support generic manufacturers by buying their drugs.

Separating exploitative drug price hikes from acceptable ones could be difficult. Although companies frequently find themselves in hot water for high list prices, these typically don't reflect the true insurance companies or most patients pay, due to secret rebates.

Those discounts are negotiated between drug companies and pharmacy benefit managers hired by insurance companies to bargain on their behalf.

But Clinton's plan may make an industry uncomfortable that commonly uses similar tactics, though to a less extreme degree.