My name is Kara Campuzano and I am a resident of Salem, Oregon. I have spent my life in various different roles: student, career woman, and even USOA Mrs. Oregon 2020. But my most important role has been as a mother and a carer.
My son Brody was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 5 years old. He’s now 10. We were on the Oregon Health Plan at the time, so we didn’t have to worry too much about the cost. However, as my spouse and I began to see greater success in our career, we also began to earn more money, meaning we no longer qualified for the public health plan. That is when our costs for Type 1 diabetes care really started to go up.
Thankfully, our son’s Humalog is $35 per month on our private corporate insurance. However, that is only if it’s on prescription and not if we need an emergency dose.
One day, I received a phone call saying my son left his Humalog insulin at school. It was almost 5:00 pm and the school was closed.
I immediately panicked. Brody needs his insulin, so I called our local pharmacy to try to get the dose we needed to get through the evening. I was shocked to find out that it would cost more than $300 for me to go to pick up the emergency dose. I immediately started worrying about how I would pay for it. Would I need to pay on a credit card, or get the insulin at an ER?
No mother should have to worry about paying for their child’s necessary medication. There should be better options in place for families like mine. Insulin has been around for too long to be priced that high.
I am lucky to have a relatively small co-pay, but I know that there are countless others who struggle to pay even a $35 copay. And I know I’m not the only one who would struggle to shell out more than $300 for an emergency dose. Oregonians deserve better.
My name is Jacqueline Means and I am a longtime resident of Portland, Oregon. I want to tell you my partner’s story.
He was diagnosed with leukemia many years ago and had a bone marrow transplant in July of 2017. It was wonderful that he was able to receive this treatment, but the side effects brought on several other health issues.
He developed a severe eye infection and was promptly prescribed Jadenu, a little blue pill that comes at an exorbitantly high cost. We were told it retailed at $89,000 a month.
We were stunned. Who could afford that? Our insurance told us that they would not cover it, so we lived with constant worry that we would not be able to access the drug. We simply wouldn’t be able to afford something like that. Thankfully, we found a specialty pharmacy that sold the medication at a cost we could afford, and were ultimately given assistance by a private program. But patients shouldn’t have to jump through these hoops to access medication they desperately need.
We are senior citizens living on a fixed income. We want to enjoy our retirement, not experience sticker shock when we go to pick up my partner’s necessary medication.
We fear for the day when this happens to us again, and maybe our medication isn’t covered by the specialty pharmacy. What will we do then? We know there are thousands of other Oregonians experiencing the same hardship, and we encourage others to raise their voices and fight back.
SALEM, OR — Oregon Patient Advocates will meet with state lawmakers today to demand action to address the high price of prescription drugs. Nearly one in three Americans report not taking their drugs as prescribed due to cost. A bipartisan bill in Oregon that would have helped patients was blocked at the 11th hour from receiving a committee hearing. The bill,HB 4147, would have established a program to allow the state to import safe, affordable drugs from across the border in Canada.
Patients from across the state travelled to Salem to urge elected officials to stand up to Big Pharma and support the bill. Patients plan to ask their legislators to fight for lower drug prices, especially after this bill was pulled from consideration with less than a month left in the state’s legislative session.
Kara Campuzano of Salem, whose son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 5 years old, is all too familiar with high drug prices. “One day, I received a phone call saying my son left his Humalog insulin at school. It was almost 5 PM and the school was closed,” she said. “I immediately panicked. Brody needs his insulin, and so I called our local pharmacy to try to get the dose we needed to get through the evening. I was shocked to find out that it would cost more than $300 for me to go to pick up.”
Oregon’s HB 4147 would have created a state program to import wholesale prescription drugs from Canada. At significant savings to patients, the proposed program would ensure safety on par with the U.S. drug supply chain system. According to polling, 70% of likely voters in Oregon support importation of prescriptions from Canada.
States like Vermont, Colorado, Florida, and Maine have recognized the cost savings of importation from Canada and passed laws that empower them to import and distribute prescription drugs.
Read more about the Patient Advocates visiting lawmakers today:
Ann Neilson, Madras: I have been prescribed Restasis for chronic dry eye syndrome for some time now, but I haven’t taken it as prescribed due to the horrendous cost — $2,700 per year out of pocket. I have ordered Restasis from Canada in the past because it was much less than it was in the US.
Terry Sissel, Lincoln City: Spending over $3,000 a year on prescription medications was a huge financial burden and that burden remains heavy in my mind. I had to cut the number of trips I took to visit my daughter and her family, and I have no wiggle room in my budget.
Pat Rubino, St. Helens: I was fortunate to get approved for a grant for a heart operation, but there was a catch. It did not cover the prescription drugs I needed after my surgery. The sticker shock was unreal. I considered taking a lien on my home.
Patients For Affordable Drugs Now is a bipartisan patient advocacy organization that works to elevate the stories of those suffering from the high cost of prescription drugs. P4ADNow does not accept money from anyone that benefits from the manufacture or distribution of prescription drugs.
Over 500 Oregonians have shared their stories with P4ADNow about the sacrifices they make in order to afford their prescription drugs. They skip doses, choose between buying their medications and their groceries, and sometimes even go without.
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My name is Ann Neilson, and I am a retired nurse with chronic dry eye syndrome. I have been prescribed Restasis for some time now, but I haven’t taken it as prescribed due to the horrendous cost. A full dose would cost me more than $2,700 per year out of pocket. It is so important that I take the drug regularly so that I can keep my corneas healthy. Without proper treatment, I could do permanent damage to my vision.
I have ordered Restasis from Canada in the past because it only costs $1,137 per year there, one sixth of the total U.S. price. But it just isn’t fair. I shouldn’t have to get medication from another country just because the drug company, Allergan, continues to raise prices here at home. Restasis is not a new drug. Allergan has employed a variety of methods to keep generic competitors off the market, meaning that there is no check in place to keep Allergan from raising the price year after year. Worst of all, there is no way to know how they justify their price increases.
But high drug prices don’t only affect me. My husband must take Xarelto as prescribed for AFib and to prevent fatal blood clots. It’s $435 each month total, with an out-of-pocket cost presently at $174 a month. We should not be getting priced out of the drugs we need to survive.
As a nurse, I know there are lots of other stories out there. When working in home health, I discovered scores of patients taking only half of their prescribed doses or skipping doses altogether due to limited incomes –– ultimately causing poor health outcomes. I deserve to know why my drug prices are increasing, and so do the patients I used to serve in the hospital. I need Restasis to protect my sight, but some of my patients need their medications just to survive.
My name is Edward Hawley. I am 64 years old and am very active in my Portland community. But I live on a fixed income, and I know that there are many others in my position who are facing health care difficulties just like I am. I even moved to Portland to care for my sick and dying sister, who is experiencing difficulties managing her health and the costs associated with it.
I have type 2 diabetes, and I know that this is a condition that plagues the wallets of countless Oregonians. I am lucky to benefit from the VA, so I’ve rarely had to pay for the highest prices of insulin that you hear about on the news. However, I constantly think about and worry for those who do have to face the monthly cost of their insulin. I know how difficult it can be because I once faced paying the out-of-pocket price for my insulin.
When I lived in Arizona, my mail-order shipment of Lantus insulin came late and arrived unrefrigerated. That made the insulin unusable. Because this medicine is necessary for my health, I immediately went to my local pharmacy to replace it –– I didn’t have time to wait for a new mail-order shipment to come in. I was told it would be $250 to purchase that insulin out of pocket.
Who can afford that? I know that I, and other retirees like me, can’t. I was forced to put it on a credit card and pay it back on payments with interest. If this happens again, I simply don’t know what I would do. I don’t have a credit card anymore. I would have to make a decision between purchasing my insulin and purchasing other necessities like groceries. It shouldn’t be this way for patients.
I have heard of patients crossing US borders to get their insulin for much less. The United States should make importation of medicines legal, so that patients can receive their medications without hurting their pocketbooks like I had to.
My name is Janet Schaeffer and my hometown is Grants Pass, Oregon. I have come to love this community throughout my years of being an in-home caregiver in our area. I loved my job and took pride in caring for the elderly. Unfortunately, I had to retire when my health declined.
I have COPD, a progressive lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. My doctor prescribed me an Anoro Ellipta inhaler to treat my symptoms. When I went to pick it up, I found out that the inhalers retail at about $500 a piece. My insurance covers $300 of it… leaving me with a whopping $200 to pay for out of pocket.
I need this medication, but as a retired woman on social security, I’m living on a fixed income. I can’t afford the $200 price tag, which means I can’t afford my inhaler. That means I can’t breathe well –– which means I can’t work, clean my own house, or garden and cook like I used to. My quality of life has declined immensely because I just can’t afford my medication.
I know there are countless others in our community that are experiencing the same thing. I also know that our lives would be greatly improved if our drug prices were lower, or if we could import our medications from across the border. We have all heard stories of patients crossing borders to get their medication at a fraction of the U.S. Price. It just doesn’t make sense that we are paying so much in comparison to our neighbors. What hurts me the most is thinking about the countless patients with diabetes, cancer, and chronic illnesses who are facing extreme costs for their medication just like I am. We need relief now.
SALEM, Ore. — Oregon state lawmakers are weighing key measures this week that would protect residents from Big Pharma’s skyrocketing drug prices. One bill would require that drug makers give 60-day notice to the state before spiking drug prices, while a second reform would allow Oregon patients to purchase medication from Canada at fraction of the cost. A new, 5-figure campaign launched today to highlight stories of Oregon patients struggling under high drug prices and give Oregon residents tools to contact their state lawmakers in support of these drug pricing reforms.
Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, a bipartisan patient advocacy organization that takes no money from the pharmaceutical industry, is proud to endorse the proposed legislation alongside the Oregon Coalition For Affordable Prescriptions. Hundreds of Oregonians have contacted P4ADNow to report harm caused by the cost of their prescription drugs.
Oregon’s HB 2658 would require that drug manufacturers provide 60-day advance notice before raising prices beyond certain thresholds over a 12-month period. HB 2689 and SB 409 would create a state program to import and distribute wholesale prescription drugs from Canada. At significant savings to patients, the program would ensure safety on par with the U.S. drug supply chain system.
Both measures are being considered by key committees in the Oregon House and Senate this week.
“Oregonians are desperate for relief from crushing drug prices,” said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “While there is still work to be done to lower the list prices of drugs, these important bills could give Oregonians safe and less-expensive options and protection from being blindsided by price hikes.”
Americans pay anywhere from two to six times more than the rest of the world for brand-name prescription drugs. According to one report, the retail price of a vial of insulin in the U.S. is over $300. In Canada, the same vial costs $32.
Patient Perspective
Hundreds of Oregon patients have written to Patients For Affordable Drugs Now to report how their lives have been directly impacted by skyrocketing prescription drug prices. Here’s a look at three of those stories:
David Schmor, St. Helens, OR: “I have stage 4 prostate cancer along with a heart condition. I began with surgery that cost over $100,000, followed by radiation which was another $100,000, and ongoing hormone therapy that cost me $200 out of pocket every three months. Just one of my pills, Xtandi, costs $400 a day.”
Sarah Esterman, Portland, OR: “Out of pocket, the drug would cost me $460 a month—which I can’t reliably afford.”
Pat Rubino, St. Helens, OR: “I have seen the impact high prescription drug prices have on many Americans and feel strongly that something must be done immediately. No one should ever have to consider not taking their medicine because they cannot afford it!”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patients For Affordable Drugs Now Campaigns Director Janice Rottenberg issued the following statement after Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed HB 4005 into law today.
“This bill brings much-needed transparency to drug costs in Oregon, and it builds momentum as more states pass legislation to end drug pricing abuses. Today is a good day for Oregon and for Americans demanding action to lower outrageous drug prices.”
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