Drug prices on TV will cause needless patient panic

The Trump administration has proposed several reforms to drive down prescription drug prices.

One measure would force pharmaceutical companies to mention the sticker prices of their medicines in television advertisements. The new mandate covers all prescriptions drugs reimbursed by Medicare or Medicaid that cost more than $35 a month.

The administration hopes this change will empower patients to choose more affordable drugs and embarrass companies into reducing their prices. But the rule won’t achieve those goals.

Instead, it would mislead customers into thinking drug prices are higher than th...