After years of advocacy and multiple vetoes, Virginia may soon succeed in establishing a prescription drug advisory panel in the Commonwealth.

The Affordable Medicine Act passed the House of Delegates and Senate with major bipartisan support. The bill would extend Medicare-negotiated prices for 25 drugs to all Virginians. It would also establish a Prescription Drug Advisory Panel, which could examine other high-cost drugs and potentially set upper payment limits if they pose an affordability challenge for Virginians.

Jared Calfee, state advocacy director for AARP Virginia, explained using Medicare-negotiated prices means more drugs can be made affordable faster, rather than establishing limits one drug at a time.

"We want to actually meaningfully impact costs as quickly as possible," Calfee explained. "We determined that the best way to do that was to use these prices that the federal government had already negotiated and determined. And so we just pull those prices down and make sure that everyone who's enrolled in a state-regulated health plan or is uninsured would have access."

Two previous versions of the bill were vetoed by former Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin. He argued such payment limits would stifle medical innovation and hurt access to lifesaving prescriptions for Virginians.

A survey from AARP Virginia found nearly 85% of Commonwealth voters support the creation of a board to bring down prescription drug prices. Calfee added the issue of prescription drug affordability resonates with the Commonwealth.

"Members on both sides of the aisle, whether they’re in northern Virginia, far southwest Virginia, Hampton Roads, southside, Richmond, wherever, are hearing from their constituents about this all the time," Calfee reported. "Because this is something that is impacting so many people."

According to Freedom Virginia, a quarter of all Virginians reported rationing their prescription drug medications because they cannot afford them.

Source: Public News Service