[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6593 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6593

  To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a 
 study on the feasibility of establishing and maintaining an automated 
   and searchable system that tracks prescription drug prices in the 
                 United States, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 26, 2018

   Mr. Duncan of Tennessee introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a 
 study on the feasibility of establishing and maintaining an automated 
   and searchable system that tracks prescription drug prices in the 
                 United States, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Medication Automated Quotation 
System, or MEDAQ, Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON THE FEASIBILITY OF CREATING A SYSTEM THAT TRACKS 
              PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS.

    (a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States, in 
consultation with the Commissioner of Food and Drugs and the 
Administrator of CMS, shall conduct a study on the feasibility of 
establishing a medication automated quotation system.
    (b) Elements.--The feasibility study required under subsection (a) 
shall include assessments of the following:
            (1) The feasibility of--
                    (A) collecting or compiling data on the acquisition 
                price per unit that any purchaser (including but not 
                limited to a distributor, a retailer, a third-party 
                payor, or ultimate consumer) pays for a prescription 
                drug and the effect PBMs and other involved entities 
                have on such prices; and
                    (B) aggregating such data in a manner that does not 
                reveal personally identifiable information.
            (2) The cost of procuring and maintaining a medication 
        automated quotation system, or MEDAQ, based on the above data.
            (3) The need for new or additional laws, regulations, or 
        policies to collect the data necessary for a medication 
        automated quotation system to track and generate prescription 
        drug pricing data in the United States.
            (4) The possibility of integrating or using the FDA's NDC 
        system and CMS NADAC when creating the MEDAQ.
            (5) Integration of CMS NADAC when creating the MEDAQ and, 
        not withstanding any other provision of this Act, shall not 
        consider pharmacy reporting, collecting, or compiling 
        requirements beyond or in addition to the requirements of CMS 
        NADAC.
            (6) Whether the system described under subsection (a) is 
        likely to be effective in reducing overall prescription drug 
        prices by increasing competition and transparency in the drug 
        industry.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress 
a report on the results of the study conducted under subsection (a).
    (d) Medication Automated Quotation System Defined.--The term 
``medication automated quotation system'' or ``MEDAQ'' means an 
automated and searchable system that--
            (1) with respect to the United States (and with respect to 
        each region thereof), tracks and generates data on the 
        acquisition price per unit of any prescription drug that a 
        purchaser pays for such unit of such drug;
            (2) produces reports in real time on average prices per 
        unit and other data; and
            (3) is accessible to purchasers, who have paid a user fee, 
        with limitations to ensure appropriate privacy but also 
        transparency in price negotiations.
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