Poll: Vast Majority of Americans Want Government Intervention On High Drug Prices
More than eight in 10 Americans favor allowing the federal government to negotiate with drugmakers to get lower prices on medications for people on Medicare, among other regulations.
Los Angeles Times:
With Drug Prices Spiking, Americans Want More Government Action, New Poll Finds
More than three in four Americans believe that prescription drug prices are unreasonable, a new poll shows. And large majorities — including Democrats and Republicans — favor aggressive government steps to make pharmaceuticals more affordable for consumers, according to the survey by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. (Levey, 9/29)
In other drug pricing news —
California Healthline:
Specialty Drug Costs Soar 30% For California Pension Fund
Specialty drug costs jumped 30 percent last year to $587 million for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, one of the nation’s largest health care purchasers. Though they amount to less than 1 percent of all prescriptions, specialty drugs accounted for more than a quarter of the state agency’s $2.1 billion in total pharmacy costs. Those overall drug costs have climbed 40 percent since 2010. (Terhune, 9/28)