While Congress could tackle a plethora of issues as it begins its 119th session, it’s my hope that the Pennsylvania congressional delegation works to introduce reforms that address the rising cost of prescription drugs.
According to a recent KFF poll, a third of Americans don’t take their medications as prescribed due to escalating costs, and more than half are concerned about affording the prescriptions they or their families need.
Americans pay far more than those in other developed nations for everything from asthma inhalers to insulin, from eye drops to lifesaving cancer drugs.
While many are concerned about the Trump administration’s fixation on unearthing “wasteful spending,” there is broad agreement that Congress should enact policies that immediately impact people’s pocketbooks. And that starts with curbing the anticompetitive and unjust practices Big Pharma has been getting away with for years.
Joe Kirk
Mt. Lebanon