US Drug Pricing "For The Courts"

The US House Commerce oversight subcommittee chairman, Representative Joe Barton, has said that the court is "the appropriate place" to resolve disputes over drug industry pricing practices. "If companies are found to have violated laws dealing with competition, then government prosecution is proper," he said, adding: "I do not believe it is the role of government to set price controls."

Independent pharmacists from Rep Barton's state of Texas had urged Congress to seek subpoenas to obtain appropriate documents to determine the facts and fashion a legislative remedy addressing the interests of US consumers. Sarah Jagger, director of the General Accounting Office health division, said the GAO had been unable to verify the reasons for differences in pricing because information about pricing and pricing practices was highly proprietary, and difficult to access.