At a recent town hall meeting in Illinois, people shared their frustrations about the high cost of prescription drugs.
Mary Rothschild, an allergy patient, expressed her anger: “It was insulting. They don’t respect my need for medication, and there are many others without anyone to advocate for them.”
Lequita Michelle Mathew, who has multiple sclerosis, shared her struggles: “I had to talk to my doctor and insurance company to find a way to get the right medication I needed.”
The meeting, held at the Service Employees International Union office in Chicago, focused on proposed state legislation aimed at capping drug costs through a Prescription Drug Affordability Board.
Pharmacist Jessica Schlotfeldt highlighted the difficulty: “Even with efforts to negotiate, the cost can still be overwhelming. It’s heartbreaking to see patients worried about not getting the medication they need.”
Panelists shared personal stories about how expensive prescriptions affect them and others. State Sen. Celina Villanueva said, “This issue affects everyone, not just my family but people across the country.”
State Sen. Robert Peters added, “We have a prescription drug affordability crisis affecting everyone, whether trying to start a family or just living day-to-day.”
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, over 4,200 drugs saw an average price increase of more than 15% between January 2022 and January 2023. For example, the price of the blood pressure medication Vasopressin skyrocketed from $4.32 to $158.04.
Dr. Anthony Douglas from UChicago Medicine said, “It can be a matter of life and death. I’ve seen patients suffer serious complications because they couldn’t afford the medication they needed.”
Earlier this month, the Biden administration negotiated lower prices for 10 of the most expensive Medicare drugs. Drug manufacturers have reported high costs for developing new drugs and conducting clinical trials.