Here’s to a historic week. Welcome to the Week in Review.
- The Time is Now
- Candidates who campaigned on promises to lower prescription drug prices have taken their seats as members of the 117th Congress, creating the best environment in years for serious drug pricing reform. Patients are ready to work with Congress and President Biden to get it done. — (FiercePharma)
2. One Step Closer
- Last Friday, the Maryland Senate voted to override the governor’s veto of a bill that would provide permanent funding for the state’s prescription drug affordability board. Now, the House of Delegates must follow the Senate’s lead and allow the first-in-the-nation board to continue its important work of lowering the costs of prescription drugs for Marylanders. — (The Washington Post)
3. These Are Our Stories
- This month, patient advocates living with conditions like cystic fibrosis, type 1 diabetes, and psoriatic arthritis spoke out about the high prices of their prescription drugs and their worries about what the future holds. “In order to avoid these interruptions in my dosing, I’ve been forced to dip into my savings and jeopardize my financial health to preserve my physical health. I felt that I had no choice. And I consider myself one of the lucky ones,” writes Kip Burgess, who lives with psoriatic arthritis. Jay Gironimi, who lives with cystic fibrosis, adds, “We shouldn’t be forced to decide between financial ruin and detrimental health outcomes.” — (P4AD)