RX DRUG COSTS—Maryland PIRG policy advocate Johanna Neumann informs reporters about the high prices uninsured Marylanders pay for prescription drugs. In Baltimore, uninsured consumers pay 62 percent more than the federal government for the same medications.

Access to quality, affordable health care is a major concern for Americans across the country. For the growing number of uninsured and underinsured, prescription drug prices can cause fi nancial hardship and force people to choose between necessary medicines and essential expenses like food and rent.

Maryland PIRG works to bring down the price of prescription drugs by advocating for bulk purchasing pools and the availabilty of generic drugs. At the same time, we strive to hold drug companies accountable to their customers by making sure that medicines are safe and companies are truthful in their marketing.

Recently, research undertaken by Maryland PIRG and the state PIRGs shows that drug affordability and safety have a long way to go.

Higher Costs For Uninsured

In July, Maryland PIRG released a report that revealed that uninsured consumers in Baltimore pay 62 percent more for prescription drugs than the federal government.

The federal government uses its buying power to negotiate lower prices for employees and retirees. Maryland PIRG supports legislation to establish state-level buying pools that include uninsured Marylanders.

“With no one to negotiate lower prices on their behalf, uninsured consumers often face sticker shock when trying to afford medically necessary prescriptions,” said Johanna Neumann, policy advocate for Maryland PIRG. “State level buying pools will level the playing field for the uninsured.”

Although the General Assembly extended Medicaid buying pool benefi ts to low-income uninsured Marylanders in 2005, the Bush administration failed to sign the necessary waiver for the law to go into effect.

Medicine Or Snake Oil?

False and misleading prescription drug advertising is common and dangerous. A state PIRG report reviewed enforcement letters that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent to drug marketers between 2001 and 2005.

Researchers learned that drug makers often communicate false and misleading messages through conventional advertising, sales representatives, and doctors speaking on behalf of drug marketers, and through clinical trial suppression, manipulation and misrepresentation.

“Powerful prescription drugs can improve or save lives, but if they’re marketed to the wrong people, they can cripple or even kill,” said state PIRGs Consumer Advocate Abigail Caplovitz.

The FDA letters did not address anywhere near the full universe of prescription drug marketing. The FDA routinely reviews only “classic” advertising and does not comprehensively monitor the sometimes more infl uential advertising that targets doctors directly. Moreover, the FDA’s review of classic advertising is not complete; not all ads are submitted to review, and of those that are, the FDA only reviews some.

To address scientific misconduct in clinical trials, states should establish a comprehensive, searchable database of clinical trials, and citizens should be allowed to sue for injunctive relief to stop false advertising and force manufacturers to conduct corrective advertising. Maryland PIRG and our allies will continue to work at the state and federal levels to ensure safe and affordable quality health care.