Congressman Taylor introduces bill requiring price transparency for prescription drugs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Dave Taylor (OH-02) and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) today introduced the bipartisan Drug-price Transparency for Consumers Act of 2025, which would require drug companies to include the list price of prescription drugs in all direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements. This bill is the identical House version of its Senate companion, which was introduced by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in the United State Senate on January 23, 2025.
 
“The price of medicine should not be a secret,” said Congressman Taylor. “Disclosing the price of prescription drugs in advertisements will empower patients to make informed decisions and ultimately lead to lower health care costs. Not only will it increase competition, it will ultimately empower Americans to make the best decisions for their health and budget.”
 
“For years, Big Pharma has poured billions of dollars into advertisements to push overpriced prescription drugs on consumers. The United States is one of just two countries in the world that allows pharmaceutical companies to advertise directly to patients. These heavily advertised drugs are often some of the most expensive on the market, driving huge costs on patients,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “Consumers deserve to know the price of a product before they buy it. This is why Congressman Taylor and I are introducing the Drug-price Transparency for Consumers (DTC) Act to ensure that the costs of medications are made clear in ads.”
 
“Transparency is important to driving competition and lowering costs, and older Americans are tired of being kept in the dark about the high prices of prescription drugs they see advertised every day,” said Bill Sweeney, AARP Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. “This bipartisan bill is a commonsense step toward giving consumers the information they need to make more informed choices and to push back against skyrocketing drug costs. AARP applauds Reps. Taylor and Schakowsky for putting patients first and standing up to the drug companies’ marketing practices.”
 
“CSRxP commends Rep. Taylor and Rep. Schakowsky for their introduction of a U.S. House companion to the bipartisan Drug-price Transparency for Consumers (DTC) Act, that will help deter price-gouging by requiring disclosure of the prices set by brand name drug companies on blockbuster products in advertising directly targeting consumers,” said a spokesperson from the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing (CSRxP).
 
​​In 2023, pharmaceutical companies in the United States spent nearly $14 billion on DTC drug advertising, including advertisements on TV, in magazines, and on social media. Yet over 70% of prescription drugs that were advertised are rated as having “low therapeutic value,” meaning that these advertisements exist to increase demand for drugs a doctor might not otherwise prescribe. Analysis has additionally shown that DTC advertising produces a return on investment of 100-500% for drug companies, as patients are directed to ask their doctor to prescribe a drug they’ve seen advertised.
 
By increasing demand for largely low-benefit drugs, costs to government health programs also increase, leaving taxpayers on the hook. A GAO report found that from 2016 to 2018, Medicare spent $320 billion on drugs that were DTC-advertised, which comprised 58% of Medicare’s total drug spending.
 
This proposal has garnered support from consumers across the Nation, with a Kaiser Family Foundation survey finding that 88% of Americans support requiring drug companies to include the list price of medication in advertisements.
 
AARP, the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, Patients for Affordable Drugs Now, the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Neurology, and the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing are supporting organizations of this bill.
 
The full text of the Drug Price Transparency for Consumers Act of 2025 is available here: https://taylor.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/taylor.house.gov/files/evo-…

Congressman David Taylor represents Ohio’s Second Congressional District, which includes Clermont, Clinton, Pike, Adams, Brown, Highland, Ross, Scioto, Pickaway, Hocking, Vinton, Jackson, Lawrence, Gallia, and Meigs counties, as well as part of Fayette County. Taylor serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the House Agriculture Committee. Prior to serving in Congress, Taylor worked as an assistant prosecutor for Clermont County before joining his family’s concrete business, where he ultimately served as President. Please visit https://taylor.house.gov/ for more information.