Taking Action to Lower Drug Prices

Taking Action to Lower Drug Prices

By Congressman Mike Simpson

Washington, D.C. - As I travel around Idaho and visit with seniors, I hear almost universal concern about the rising cost of health care, particularly the cost of prescription drugs. As costs continue to rise dramatically, access to affordable, quality care is rapidly becoming our nation's biggest health care concern. Now more then ever, our seniors need action to be taken to hold down costs.

Pharmaceuticals have become an increasingly important part of modern medicine, and our seniors shouldn't have to worry about whether they can afford the medicines they need to stay healthy and maintain their independence. According to a recent AARP study, prescription drug costs are rising at a rate of nearly three times the rate of inflation. Increasingly, our nation's seniors can't afford life-saving medication. While American taxes pay for much of the research and development that goes into creating the new, life-saving drugs, American consumers continue to subsidize the cost of the drugs for consumers across the world. If we don't quickly take additional action to address the growing costs of prescription drugs, I'm worried other cost-containing efforts will have only modest success in controlling the rising costs of health care.

There is no disputing the fact that American consumers pay 30 to 300 percent more for the same prescription drugs as our counterparts in Canada, Europe, and the rest of the world. As just one example, Tamoxifen, a miracle breast cancer drug that was developed almost entirely with American taxpayer dollars, costs approximately $360.00 for a thirty day supply in the United States, but only $60.00 in Germany.

That is one of the reasons why I strongly support regulations that allow re-importation of FDA-approved prescription drugs from nations like Canada and am a co-sponsor of legislation that would make re-importation legal. The goal of re-importation is to provide American consumers with access to drugs at the world market price - not the inflated price now paid only by Americans.

Our nation's local governments are taking the only action they can by importing drugs from Canada in revolt against the federal government's misguided ban on re-importation. They calculate they will save millions of tax-payers dollars that can be better spent elsewhere. In Idaho, SHIBA (Senior Health Insurance Benefits Advisors), publishes a brochure titled "Lowering Prescription Drug Costs", which provides our state's seniors with information and links to order drugs from Canada. Idahoans, and seniors across the country, deserve those kinds of savings as well, regardless of where they live.

I am also greatly troubled by the increasing amount of commercials and advertisements for prescription drugs now saturating the airwaves. Often, the advertisements provide little information beyond promising to make us feel younger, have more energy, and cure any problems we may have. When I visit with our local doctors and healthcare providers, they often tell me stories of patients who've seen the ads on television and then requested prescriptions for drugs that are either unnecessary or significantly more expensive then the equally effective alternatives.

It's crucial to keep in mind that the hundreds of millions of dollars now spent on prescription drug advertisements are ultimately paid for by consumers in the form a higher drug prices. Would you rather have a lower prescription drug price, or a glossy television commercial that makes bold promises but offers little factual information? For me, the choice is easy.

While I recognize the great value and importance of prescription drugs and strongly support a continued U.S. focus on pharmaceutical research and development, our nation's seniors cannot be asked to subsidize the drug costs of other wealthy industrialized nations any longer. We must take action now, by permitting re-importation, to ensure that health care and prescription drugs remain accessible and affordable for everyone.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/id02_simpson/drug_oped.html