Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Mail-Order Prescriptions Unfairly Ensnared In War On Opioids
The Hill: Access To Safe, Affordable Medication Is A Casualty Of The War On Opioids
Importing opioids for the purpose of drug abuse is not the same thing as importing lifesaving medication, and it is critical that regulators treat them differently — and the law strongly encourages them to do so. Since 2018, taxpayer funding for Food and Drug Administration activities has increased substantially for the purpose of stopping illegal opioids from coming into the country through international mail facilities. With that convenient window dressing, those taxpayer dollars and new federal laws are now being used to take away prescription drug orders at those same international mail facilities, which are often placed by patients who cannot afford them domestically. (Gabriel Levitt, 8/31)
The Baltimore Sun: Reps. Brown And Mfume: Congress Must Act To Lower Prescription Drug Prices
It’s been nearly two years since our dear friend Elijah Cummings died. In that time, we have mourned his loss, lived through a pandemic, faced a reckoning on racial injustice and experienced a monumental election, in which the American people put their faith in Democrats to build our country back and enact change to better the lives of working families. In this time of building back better, we know Elijah would have pushed us to think of those who are struggling the most. With rising health care costs for COVID long-haulers, we need to focus on lowering prescription drug prices for Americans. Throughout his many years of service to Maryland and our nation, Elijah was a staunch advocate for lowering the price of prescription drugs because of the toll such costs took on families, often Black and brown families, who are less likely to have coverage or resources but more likely to need treatments for chronic diseases including asthma and diabetes. (Anthony Brown and Kweisi Mfume, 9/7)
Stat: To Lower Drug Costs, Define 'Cost' To Mean Net Cost After Rebates
In what could be a turning point in the prescription drug debate, President Biden has made clear that the health crisis of unaffordable medications must end. In a speech he gave in the East Room of the White House in August, the president shared how he and his siblings had to chip in to cover the cost of their mother’s prescription drugs as she got older, spending thousands of dollars per month. The Bidens’ experience is shared by millions of other American seniors and families. Everyday Americans are making impossible choices between affording food and rent or their prescriptions. In many cases, people skip doses or forego treatment altogether. The effects of these choices are grim. An estimated 1 million or more Medicare patients will die prematurely between now and 2030 because they cannot afford their prescription drugs. (Sean Dickson, 9/7)
Arizona Republic: Medicare Must Negotiate Drug Prices. It's The Only Way To Lower Costs
People of all ages are skipping pills because they can’t afford their medication. That’s because Americans are paying three times what people in other countries pay for the same medicine. People are sick and tired of being price-gouged for the medicine they need. So they are calling on the president and Congress to take action toward negotiated pricing. (Alex Juarez, 8/31)
The Motley Fool: Why GoodRx Is The Antidote To High Drug Prices
When GoodRx founder Doug Hirsch realized that Americans lacked a one-stop destination for prescription discounts and prices, he decided to build an app where consumers could get the cheapest prescriptions available. With its unique customer-centric business, GoodRx holds a key competitive advantage in the industry, and its growing popularity could enable the company to become a product that every American uses. (Jamie Louko, 9/1)
