Why Big Pharma spent big dollars in 2016

How Big Pharma tried to silence the conversation about high drug prices with lobbying

NPR reported that both sides of the political spectrum were concerned about high drug prices in 2016, so Big Pharma spent millions lobbying to silence the conversation.

Big Pharma’s lobbying group, PhRMA, ramped up their political spending. Recent filings show that number hit $271 million in member dues and other income in 2016. That was up from $220 million in 2015. PhRMA distributed that money to hundreds of lobbyists, politicians and patient groups.

“Does that surprise you?” Billy Tauzin, the former PhRMA CEO told NPR. “Whenever Washington seems interested in limiting drug prices, PhRMA has always responded by increasing its resources.”

The pharmaceutical industry faced a deluge of negative headlines in 2016, including those about the jump in EpiPen prices and a whopping 2,600 percent price increase on an anti-epilepsy medication.

“Whenever Washington seems interested in limiting drug prices, PhRMA has always responded by increasing its resources.”

California even tried to pass a ballot measure that would limit how much the state government would pay for prescription medications. That measure failed. NPR reported that PhRMA gave $63 million to the opposition campaign. That was more than half the total amount spent on the campaign.

PhRMA’s contributions were not limited to one side of the political spectrum. NPR reports the industry gave about $300,000 to the Republican Governors Association, and about $350,000 to the Democratic Governors Association.

“That’s PhRMA,” Sheila Krumholz told NPR. Krumholz is the executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks political financing. “They do it all.”

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