[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4278 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4278

  To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a 
 study on how direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising negatively 
        impacts drug costs to consumers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 30, 2021

    Mr. Murphy of North Carolina (for himself and Mrs. Harshbarger) 
 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 how direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising negatively 
        impacts drug costs to consumers, 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. GAO STUDY ON HOW DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER PHARMACEUTICAL 
              ADVERTISING NEGATIVELY IMPACTS DRUG COSTS TO CONSUMERS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall conduct a study on how direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical 
advertising negatively impacts drug costs to consumers. Such study 
shall focus on--
            (1) what steps may be taken by pharmaceutical drug 
        manufacturers and distributors to reduce the higher drug costs 
        paid by consumers as a result of such advertising by splitting 
        the cost of advertising between each organization developing a 
        particular drug; 
            (2) the expectations of consumers and patients with respect 
        to the drugs so advertised; and
            (3) the role such advertisements play in promoting 
        medication to patients for whom such medication may not be 
        necessary. 
    (b) Report.--The Comptroller General shall--
            (1) submit a report containing the results of the study 
        to--
                    (A) the Committee on the Judiciary and the 
                Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on the Judiciary and the 
                Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of 
                the Senate; and
            (2) make such report publicly available.
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