This seems like a small but very welcome first step. Still, what does "list price" mean if nobody pays it?
What would happen if drug makers had to charge the same thing to every wholesaler/distributor, worldwide? To big pharmacy chains, Canadian pharmacies, the VA, everyone. They charge everyone, say, $2 for every 200mg tablet of Highprofimene. So, US consumers aren't subsidizing others, etc. And, then, this wholesale price would be the price disclosed in all advertising. That will rattle some cages.
I'd normally oppose this intervention in the free market, but there's no sense on pretending we have a free market today.
Good points. In this case, I think “list price”, even if it is never charged and no one pays it, still may have an impact. It makes the role of intermediaries more difficult, and will potentially allow more light to be cast on rebates and other payments, which usually do not benefit consumers and often exist in a grey, mucky, ethically dubious area.