Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.), MD, is concerned about an over-simplified conversation on rising drug prices, according to The Hill.
While speaking at a panel hosted by The Hill and the USC Schaeffer Center Oct. 1, Sen. Cassidy addressed why a more "targeted approach" is necessary.
"We need to have a more sophisticated viewpoint beyond just, 'Oh my gosh, rates are going up, but we're not going to blame the system we have in place, we're going to find another culprit,'" he said.
Sen. Cassidy, who serves on the Senate's health committee, cited a drug used to treat hepatitis C. One course of treatment for the drug costs approximately $84,000.
Sen. Cassidy backed up his recommendation for a targeted approach with an example. It is "probably a waste" to give the drug to a generally healthy woman in her sixties, he said. But giving the drug to a woman with late-stage liver fibrosis is a better choice. "If you do not treat her, you're going to spend $200,000 a year," Sen. Cassidy said.