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On
Thursday, HHS Secretary Alex Azar announced the appointment
of two individuals to lead initiatives in areas he has
identified as priorities for the Department. Secretary Azar
has previously identified four initiatives for his
transformation agenda: combating the opioid crisis;
bringing down the high cost of prescription drugs;
addressing the cost and availability of health insurance;
and transforming our healthcare system to a value-based
system. The individuals who will be taking key roles on
opioids and prescription drug pricing are:
- Daniel
M. Best will be Senior Advisor to the Secretary for
Drug Pricing Reform. Mr. Best will lead the initiative
to lower the high price of prescription drugs.
- Brett
Giroir, M.D., will, in addition to his duties as Assistant
Secretary for Health, serve as Senior Advisor to the
Secretary for Mental Health and Opioid Policy. Dr.
Giroir will be responsible for coordinating HHS’s
efforts across the Administration to fight America’s
opioid crisis.
“Under
President Trump, HHS has an historic opportunity to
confront a number of America’s pressing health challenges,
including the high price of prescription drugs and our
country’s opioid crisis,” said Secretary Azar. “These
leaders will play a unique role at HHS in driving coordination
and results on these vital issues.”
“Daniel Best recognizes what President Trump and I, and
every American know: prescription drug prices are too high.
He has the deep experience necessary to design and enact
reforms to lower the price of medicines that help Americans
live healthier and longer lives.
“Brett Giroir, our Assistant Secretary for Health, will use
his exceptional talents to tackle our country’s crisis of
opioid addiction and overdose. His experience coordinating
major projects within the federal government will bring new
focus to our efforts on this issue.
“These two leaders will be invaluable to HHS and will
advance the good work already being done at the Department
serve the American people.”
Leaders for healthcare payment reform and value-based
transformation of the healthcare system, will be announced
in the coming weeks.
Biographical Background
Daniel
M. Best, Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Drug Pricing
Reform
A
highly accomplished, top-performing healthcare industry
executive, Daniel Best is an expert on both the
pharmaceutical landscape and the largest single payer for
prescription drugs, the Medicare Part D program. Best
recently served as the Corporate Vice President of Industry
Relations for CVSHealth’s Medicare Part D business. This
included the company’s prescription drug plans, Medicare
Part D plans, and other clients, which together provide
prescription drug coverage for millions of Americans. Prior
to working at CVS, Best spent 12 years at Pfizer
Pharmaceuticals.
Assistant
Secretary for Health Brett Giroir, M.D., Senior Advisor to
the Secretary for Mental Health and Opioid Policy
Dr.
Brett Giroir is HHS’s Assistant Secretary for Health, a
role he will continue. He is a four-star admiral in
the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Dr.
Giroir is the former Director of the Defense Science Office
at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA),
and has spent his career leading major projects for
academic institutions and the U.S. Departments of Defense,
Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs. He has
been recognized for his novel approach to using biomedical
advancements that have accelerated the development and
manufacturing of vaccines and other treatments for pandemic
influenza and emerging infectious diseases.
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