BOSTON—Consumer, health
care, and senior groups working to lower the price of prescription drugs challenged
the findings of the recently released report on the drug industry by the Beacon
Hill Institute.
"What the Beacon Hill
Institute should have called their report was, US Consumers Must Continue to
be Gouged on Drug Costs in Order to Keep big Pharma and its Members the Most
Profitable Industry in the Country", said Deirdre Cummings, MASSPIRG's
Consumer Program Director.
The bottom line is that
consumers in Massachusetts are charged much higher prices for prescription drugs
than the best available prices given to the federal government, like the Veteran's
Administration - and to consumers in other countries.
In a report we released
last year, Paying the Price, we found on average, uninsured consumers in Massachusetts
have to pay 79% more for the 10 common prescription medications than the federal
government. This was higher than the national average. The price differences
ranged from 29% for Lanoxin to 115% for Zocor.
Further, in a recent survey
released by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, consumers in Canada,
England and Ireland pay 30-60% less on average for the same prescriptions drugs
consumers buy here.
The results of escalating
prescription drug costs are; more people without access to necessary drugs,
higher premiums for those fortunate enough to have prescription drug coverage,
and an increasing burden on the state and other programs to assist those who
cannot pay for drugs themselves.
"Tying our economic
health to an industry which gouges consumers does not make sound business sense.
Eventually, we'll all have family and friends who won't be able to afford needed
drugs and the price gouging will end," concluded Cummings.
