Americans, especially the 65 million Americans on Medicare, being caught in the terrible perfect storm of prescription drug price gouging. Seniors are taking more expensive medications while living on fixed incomes. Even with their Medicare Part D prescription drug plan they are paying substantial out-of-pocket costs.
The pharmaceutical industry began January 2022 as it has in other years by raising prices on prescription drugs. Drug manufacturers raised wholesale prices by a median of 4.9% on more than 450 prescription medicines, an overall annual increase that is comparable to the price hikes seen over the past three years. Additional price increases are expected later in 2022.
The AREF/NRLN bases its support to reduce prescription drug prices on:
- Remove the prohibition on Medicare negotiating prescription drug prices. It should replace it with a competitive bidding mandate to be applied wherever two or more FDA approved generic drugs, or two or more brand drugs, or a generic and brand drugs (upon patent expiration) treat the same medical condition.
- End pay-for-delay and other brand-name drugmakers’ tactics that keep generic drugs off the market.
- Allow individuals to import prescription drugs manufactured at FDA-inspected facilities from licensed Canadian sellers and import drugs from other countries that meet FDA safety standards.
For more details, reach the white paper “Reduce Price of Prescription Drugs”.