Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: It's Time For The Government To Get Into The Generics Drug Business
Undark: The Solution To Soaring Drug Prices? A Public Option For Pills
In 2019, for the first time in recent memory, the federal government was not the most hated industry among Americans. According to polling from Gallup, that dishonor was reserved for Big Pharma. To me — and probably to most of you — this doesn’t come as a surprise. Throughout the 2010s, Americans endured a series of erratic spikes in the prices of older, off-patent drugs that theoretically should have cheap generic alternatives available. First, there was Daraprim, a drug for parasitic infections, whose price was increased more than 50-fold overnight by “pharma bro” and cultural villain Martin Shkreli. Then there was the EpiPen, the emergency allergy medication that climbed to more than $300 per dose in 2016. Now there is insulin, which for some patients is so expensive that they must self-ration their dosages — the latest example of end-stage capitalism. (Vishal Khetpal, 2/27)
The Hill: Trump Should Dust Off Last Year's Drug Reform Plan
Voters generally approve of Donald Trump’s economic policies — but give him low marks on health care, according to recent polls. The president, unsurprisingly, is grumbling. He recently chewed out Alex Azar, ordering his Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary to make faster progress on reducing drug prices. (Merrill Matthews, 2/27)
Bangor Daily News: The Pros And Cons Of Drug Price Controls
For many Americans, the price of prescription drugs today is unsustainable. This is why some politicians in Washington are seeking ways to reduce prices. But despite the need for a speedy remedy, price controls are probably off the table. While some people feel price controls are necessary to secure access to life-saving drugs, others argue price controls will only hurt consumers in the long run. Who is correct? (William L. Somes, 3/2)
Gazette.Com: Drug Prices Fuel A Bipartisan Debate From Denver To D.C.
For folks like me who take a roster of pills every day, the high price of prescriptions is a matter of life and death, or at least so you feel good enough to make it on your feet 12 hours a day. You can’t put a price on that, and the drug companies know it. Some Colorado lawmakers think Americans should know exactly what you’re paying for and why. That’s the biggest political argument in the halls of Congress, and it’s no different at the state Capitol in Denver. (Joey Bunch, 3/1)
