NPC’s John O’Brien Talks IRA, Drug Pricing, Patient Costs & Access on The Real Chemistry Podcast
In the latest episode of The Real Chemistry Podcast, NPC President and CEO John M. O'Brien spoke with Real Chemistry’s Founder and Chairman, Jim Weiss, on pressing health policy issues.
In the latest episode of The Real Chemistry Podcast, NPC President and CEO John M. O'Brien spoke with Real Chemistry’s Founder and Chairman, Jim Weiss, to discuss the growing government role in drug pricing, the rise in patient out-of-pocket costs, and the importance of health policy research in guiding policy. Much of the discussion focused on the increasingly complex health policy challenges decision-makers face as the drug pricing provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act are implemented.
My concern is that there is so much uncertainty in the process that the government is describing, that it has the real potential to threaten the innovation that you, and I, and other patients all value.
Dr. O’Brien highlighted the ambiguity in what “coverage” means in terms of patient out-of-pocket costs, how therapeutic alternatives are selected, and the evidence the government will value in its decision-making. He noted his concern that the government will be “going to go through a qualitative, comparative clinical effectiveness process and land on something that is very quantitative – and that is a price.”
Dr. O’Brien said that the clear benefits of innovation for patients and the new range of complex policy challenges make NPC’s health policy research more important than ever before.
Listen to the episode on Real Chemistry’s website or find it on your favorite podcast platform.
