- Lawmakers Weigh Measure to Fight High Drug Prices The Hill by Peter Sullivan — Lawmakers are considering adding a measure aimed at fighting high drug prices to an upcoming spending deal, in what would be a rare defeat for the powerful pharmaceutical industry. The measure, known as the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples Act, is intended to prevent branded drug companies from using tactics to delay competition from cheaper generic drugs. It is co-sponsored by a set of unusual bedfellows in both parties. The bill therefore could be a rare instance in which Congress acts against high drug prices, something the public rates as a top priority in polls. Pharmaceutical companies are pushing back and lobbying against the measure, arguing it would harm patient safety and open companies up to wasteful lawsuits.