Breast cancer survivor calls for prescription drug relief

Independent Newsmedia

Patients in Arizona and throughout the nation need relief from the high costs of care and prescription drugs in the United States. The Trump administration has raised some valid concerns. Americans really are paying far more for the medications we need than patients in other countries, and something should be done to stop that.

I have had my fair share of experience with the health care system as a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed in my early 30s. After going through chemotherapy, surgery and radiation, I now take prescriptions daily to help reduce the risk of recurrence. Access to medications is critical to my health and peace of mind.

From my perspective, I think the administration and our elected officials in Washington should be less concerned about arbitrarily matching other countries’ drug prices and more about the health care entities that profit at the expense of patients. Hospitals that abuse programs like the 340B Drug Pricing Program are the perfect example.

Many of these hospitals get steep discounts on prescription drugs but then continue charging patients the full or even inflated prices and out-of-pocket expenses. That needs to stop.

Reforming the 340B program and preventing hospitals from taking advantage of it would help reduce costs for patients while increasing transparency throughout our health care system. That’s the kind of reform Arizona’s leaders in Washington should be pushing for.

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