President Trump’s speech on lowering drug prices will be held Friday at the White House, an administration official confirmed.
The date had previously been reported by the Washington Examiner based on interviews with lobbyists familiar with the decision.
The White House did not provide additional details about the speech, but the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed Secretary Alex Azar would attend. During his campaign, Trump accused drugmakers of “getting away with murder” on pricing and alarmed conservatives when he suggested allowing Medicare to set drug prices, a proposal that is more common among left-leaning politicians and organizations.
Since taking office, Trump has softened his rhetoric and has hosted drug executives at the White House.
Top administration officials, such as Azar and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, have been criticizing the system used between insurers and drugmakers to negotiate rebates. They have said the system is rigged because the groups don’t share enough of the discounts with consumers.
Gottlieb said during a speech last week that the administration could use an anti-kickback law to rein in drug prices. Azar, a former pharmaceutical executive, has said that tackling drug prices is a top concern of the administration.
Surveys show that the issue ranks high among healthcare concerns. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 52 percent of the public says passing legislation to bring down the price of prescription drugs should be a “top priority” for Trump and Congress.
Trump’s speech had been scheduled for April 26 but was postponed after Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar was hospitalized with a stomach infection.
• Robert King contributed to this report.
