Lawmakers seek answers on Pfizer, Lilly telehealth moves
pharmaphorum October 23, 2024
US Senators are concerned that Pfizer and Eli Lilly’s recent forays into direct-to-consumer distribution of medicines via telehealth platforms could violate federal anti-kickback laws.
The four Senators – Democrats Dick Durbin, Peter Welch, Elizabeth Warren, and independent Bernie Sanders – have sent letters to the CEOs of the two pharma groups expressing the concern that their new arrangements “steer patients toward particular medications and create the potential for inappropriate prescribing that can increase spending for federal health care programmes.”
Lilly made the first move in this direction with the launch of its LillyDirect service in January, offering access to several of its medicines – including weight-loss therapy Zepbound (tirzepatide) – claiming the move would streamline the supply chain and reduce...