Hillary Clinton proposed creating a federal consumer oversight body that would investigate and respond to price hikes of older drugs with limited competition. | AP Photo New Clinton drug plan targets price hikes, citing EpiPen

Hillary Clinton released a new plan meant to protect Americans from "unjustified price hikes" of older, lifesaving drugs, following public outrage over skyrocketing price increases for EpiPens.

Clinton proposed creating a federal consumer oversight body that would investigate and respond to price hikes of older drugs with limited competition, as was the case with Mylan's EpiPen. The board could wield enforcement power when it determines a price increase is unjustified.


Offending companies would be fined or charged increased rebates. That money would be used to support new programs to make lower-cost alternatives available and increase approval of competing treatments.

Clinton's plan would allow for the emergency purchase of alternative treatment options. The campaign compared the idea to the Vaccines for Children program, which directly purchases and distributes vaccine to ensure their availability. Clinton said this will incentivize new companies to enter the market and put downward pressure on drug prices. The plan also would allow for the temporary importation of drugs from other countries.

Between 2008 and 2015, companies increased the price of almost 400 generic drugs more more than 1,000 percent, the campaign said. Mylan hiked the price its EpiPen two-pack from roughly $100 to $600 since 2007, when it acquired the lifesaving device carried by millions of people with severe allergies.

Pharmaceutical companies are "an incredible source of American innovation and revolutionary treatments or debilitating disease," Clinton said. But she said she will hold companies "accountable when they try to put profits ahead of patients, instead of back into research and innovation."

Clinton previously released a drug pricing plan that would allow Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies and further limit patients' out-of-pocket spending.

