AUGUSTA, Maine — In 2021, nearly one in three Maine adults skipped a dose of their medicine, split their pills in half, or didn't fill a prescription because of the cost associated with the medication, according to Consumers For Affordable Health Care, or CAHC.
LD 1636, An Act To Reduce Prescription Drug Costs by Using International Pricing, is sponsored by Sen. Ned Claxton, D-Auburn. This bill is designed to lower the cost of prescription drugs here in Maine.
"We don't have the clout in the legislature or the state to determine what prices the pharmaceuticals would charge," Claxton said. "We have to try and find various ways to limit how much we have to spend and our people have to spend."
The bill would cap the cost of hundreds of the most expensive prescriptions based on the prices the drugs in four of Canada's largest provinces. According to Claxton, the state would find the lowest price the Candian provinces negotiated for their medicines and set comparable cost limits here in Maine. Drug manufacturers that don't comply with the limits would face steep fines.
"Why should we be paying two, three, six, 10 times as much as they do in Canada," Claxton said. "In my testimony, I'll mention a drug called Jardiance and in Canada, there is a $25 copay. Last year, the numbers I looked at for 2020, we were spending $622 per prescription. That's not right."
Ann Woloson, executive director of CAHC, said medication affordability is a big issue in Maine and three out of four Mainers worry about getting the drugs they need.
"There is also data that was just released from the Maine Health Data Organization that shows that Mainers spent more than $170 million on just 25 drugs with the highest cost increase last year," Woloson said.
There is opposition to this bill. The group Voters For Cures, which is backed by the pharmaceutical industry, claims this kind of legislation is a barrier to "medical innovation"
On Tuesday, Feb. 15, there will be a public hearing online for LD 1636.
For the latest breaking news, weather, and traffic alerts, download the NEWS CENTER Maine mobile app.