This isn’t a GAME. STOP gouging prescription drug prices, pharma. Welcome to the Week in Review.
- Americans Pay More
- A new report from the RAND Corporation found that prescription drug prices in the United States are 256 percent of the prices in other wealthy nations. That number jumps to nearly 350 percent for brand-name drugs. And prices show no sign of dropping anytime soon: Drug companies have hiked prices on at least 783 drugs in the first month of 2021 alone. — (Axios)
2. Welcome to the Team!
- This week, P4AD and P4ADNow welcomed Sheila McLean as our new executive director. Sheila comes to us with decades of experience in advocacy and public health work, as well as her own patient experience with high-priced prescription drugs. We are thrilled to have her leadership! — (P4AD)
3. A Mandate for Congress
- Eighty-seven percent of voters say that they want lawmakers to keep their promises “to lower prescription drug prices and hold Big Pharma accountable,” according to a new poll from Morning Consult. An overwhelming majority of voters also believe that lawmakers must prevent drug companies from pandemic price gouging. Voters are sending a clear message — the time for action is now. — (Morning Consult)
4. Say No to Pandemic Price Gouging
- The U.S. government has pumped over $18 billion into the development and manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines, and now it must ensure that the vaccines are affordable for all Americans, writes Aaron Kesselheim, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Drug companies should be allowed to make a reasonable profit for their work, but price gouging on taxpayer-funded vaccines is not how we will keep the virus at bay long-term. — (Bloomberg)
5. “A Vicious Cycle”
- High prescription drug prices disproportionately impact communities of color. According to a new report, Latinos are more likely to live with chronic health conditions and depend on prescription drugs to manage their health. Sixty percent of Latinos report having delayed seeking medical care or filling prescriptions due to high prices. We must fix this broken drug pricing system that contributes to a cycle of health and economic inequality. — (UnidosUS Action Fund)