The only cost greater than that of prescription drugs today is the cost of doing nothing. Colorado families have struggled for too long, choosing between paying their bills and purchasing life-saving medications. We don’t want to see any more patients walk away without the medications they need because of the cost.
Colorado families have been asking lawmakers to take action on rising prescription drug costs for years. Senate Bill 175 would do just that, creating a Prescription Drug Affordability Board to set upper payment limits on the most unaffordable drugs. This bill can’t come soon enough.
As a doctor and retired pharmacist, we took an oath to care for patients, but our work is blocked when a patient can’t afford their medications. Patients are rationing their insulin, making their diabetes harder to manage. Others have asthma but can’t afford inhalers — a situation made even scarier amidst the pandemic.
Sadly, these stories aren’t unique. Across the board, prescription medication costs continue to rise at the expense of the health of patients. SB 175 will help rein them in for our patients.
The new board, after a thorough public review process, could set lower costs on unaffordable drugs, helping patients and making it easier for physicians and pharmacists to ensure access to costly medications. We can still collect reasonable dispensing and administrative fees to cover our operating costs while making sure our patients can afford their treatment. Drug manufacturers can appeal any decision made by the board, ensuring that the outcomes are fair while protecting patients and access to medications.
If we don’t do something meaningful to ensure affordability and access, people will continue to die because they cannot afford the medications they need.
Drug corporations’ claims about threats to innovation and access are unproven, and we have tools to address them; however, inequitable access and financial toxicity caused by sky-high costs of drugs is a well-established reality plaguing Coloradans.
SB 175 will help reduce costs and save lives. Now is the time to take action and ensure that prescription drugs are affordable to anyone who needs them.
Kyle Leggott is a practicing family physician in Lone Tree and Aurora–the opinions here reflected are his own. Virginia Gebhardt is a retired pharmacist living in Lafayette.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.
