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Americans from across the political spectrum are worried about the cost of prescription drugs for serious diseases, following weeks of news coverage about companies hiking prices for critical medicines. Keeping drugs for cancer, hepatitis, HIV and other conditions affordable is the top health priority for Democrats, Republicans and independents, according to a poll released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. (Perrone, 10/28)

There’s been a bipartisan outcry over the rising cost of prescription drugs – for instance, presidential candidates from both parties have identified high drug prices as a major concern. But there’s been far less discussion surrounding government oversight of how those medications are marketed to consumers and doctors. According to a poll released Wednesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation, almost 90 percent of people surveyed think the Food and Drug Administration should review prescription drug ads before they air – something it currently doesn’t do – to make sure they’re clear and accurate. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the foundation.) Those findings held true across political affiliations. (Luthra, 10/28)

A watchdog advisory panel, meeting at Harvard Medical School, concluded Tuesday that a new class of powerful cholesterol-lowering drugs did not offer reasonable value to most patients given their high price tags. (Weisman, 10/28)