Why U.S. Prescription Drug Prices are Too High

This forum will discuss U.S. prescription drug prices specifically and pharmaceutical industry reform more broadly.  Americans pay more than twice the price for the same prescription drugs from the same transnational companies as do the other rich democracies around the world.  We are subsidizing the excess profits of the pharmaceutical industry, which has twice the return on investment as the rest of the Fortune 500.  We will discuss why this is, and the many harms it causes (to patients especially but also to healthcare providers – including pharmacists – and to the U.S. economy in general). We will address the range of fixes being proposed, including the partial piecemeal reforms under active discussion at the national level (e.g., Medicare being able to negotiate prices, stopping companies from raising prices faster than inflation, some caps on prices or copays for some drugs), as well those in the context of national “Medicare for All” and the New York Health Act (our state single payer).

As always with our forums, action steps will also be suggested.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Alex Lawson executive director of Social Security Works, and leading their Drug Prices Are Too High campaign.
• Sa’Ra Skipper, Patient Advocate.
• Rachel Madley (former PNHP and New York #insulin4all activist; now a staffer with Rep. Pramilla Jayapal)

RSVP: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_M54mSfWOSIaL_VHFfYUpuw