New drugs. Cheaper drugs. Why not both?
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 06: Activists hit a piñata carrying empty pill bottles during a protest against the price of prescription drug costs in front of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) building on October 06, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 06: Activists hit a piñata carrying empty pill bottles during a protest against the price of prescription drug costs in front of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) building on October 06, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesHere's the argument: Americans pay loads for drugs. That motivates and funds pharmaceutical companies' research and development for better drugs. The fear is that if you lower the cost of drugs you might hurt overall innovation.
Today on the show, we speak with a health economist who argues that's not always true. In fact, she says there are a bunch of policies that could help bring down drug prices without stifling innovation.
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