,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #feic  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #bf1 #bjah ,mr4
 ,duncan of ,tennessee introduced the   
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce 
,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,comptroller  
,general of the ,united ,states to      
conduct a study on the feasibility of   
establishing and maintaining an         
automated and searchable system that    
tracks prescription drug prices in the  
,united ,states1 and for other purposes4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,medication ,automated     
,quotation ,system1 or ,,medaq1 ,act of 
#bjah4  #b4 ,study on the feasibility of
 creating a system that tracks          
prescription drug costs  7a7 ,study ,the
 ,comptroller ,general of the ,united   
,states1 in consultation with the       
,commissioner of ,food and ,drugs and   
the ,administrator of ,,cms1 shall      
conduct a study on the feasibility of   
establishing a medication automated     

quotation system4  7b7 ,elements ,the   
feasibility study required under        
subsection 7a7 shall include assessments
 of the following3 7#a7 ,the feasibility
 of--  7,a7 collecting or compiling data
 on the acquisition price per unit that 
any purchaser 7including but not limited
 to a distributor1 a retailer1 a        
third-party payor1 or ultimate consumer7
 pays for a prescription drug and the   
effect ,p,b,ms and other involved       
entities have on such prices2 and  7,b7 
aggregating such data in a manner that  
does not reveal personally identifiable 
information4  7#b7 ,the cost of         
procuring and maintaining a medication  
automated quotation system1 or ,,medaq1 
based on the above data4  7#c7 ,the need
 for new or additional laws1            
regulations1 or policies to collect the 
data necessary for a medication         
automated quotation system to track and 
generate prescription drug pricing data 
in the ,united ,states4  7#d7 ,the      
possibility of integrating or using the 

,,fda's ,,ndc system and ,,cms ,,nadac  
when creating the ,,medaq4  7#e7        
,integration of ,,cms ,,nadac when      
creating the ,,medaq and1 not           
withstanding any other provision of this
 ,act1 shall not consider pharmacy      
reporting1 collecting1 or compiling     
requirements beyond or in addition to   
the requirements of ,,cms ,,nadac4  7#f7
 ,whether the system described under    
subsection 7a7 is likely to be effective
 in reducing overall prescription drug  
prices by increasing competition and    
transparency in the drug industry4  7c7 
,report ,not later than #bgj days after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,comptroller ,general shall submit  
to ,congress a report on the results of 
the study conducted under subsection    
7a74  7d7 ,medication automated         
quotation system defined ,the term      
medication automated quotation system or
 ,,medaq means an automated and         
searchable system that-- 7#a7 with      
respect to the ,united ,states 7and with

 respect to each region thereof71 tracks
 and generates data on the acquisition  
price per unit of any prescription drug 
that a purchaser pays for such unit of  
such drug2  7#b7 produces reports in    
real time on average prices per unit and
 other data2 and  7#c7 is accessible to 
purchasers1 who have paid a user fee1   
with limitations to ensure appropriate  
privacy but also transparency in price  
negotiations4