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Ballot board OKs language to lower prescription drug prices
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
The state Ballot Board has signed off on the language of a citizen-initiated statute aimed at lowering the prices of prescription medications for Ohioans.
Backers of the Drug Price Relief Act can begin circulating petitions to force state lawmakers to consider the proposal.
The statute calls prescription-drug prices “one of the greatest drivers of rising health care costs in Ohio” and says medications “such as those used to treat HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C and cancers are rising faster than other types of medication.”
Donald McTigue, a Columbus attorney representing the petitioners who spoke before the board Thursday, said the four individuals behind the effort have been impacted personally by high prescription-drug prices.
“They have experienced health issues that have affected the quality of their lives and have had to deal with the high prices of drugs,” he said.
The proposed statute would block state officials from entering into contracts for prescription drugs unless the prices from manufacturers are the same or lower than those paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The move, the act notes, “would result in significant savings to Ohio and its taxpayers.”
“This is an attempt basically to say ... Ohio can buy these drugs for less; they can buy them for what the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs pays,” McTigue said. “It allows more drugs to be purchased to help more people. I think these four individuals are acting out of interest for Ohioans in general, especially Ohioans who can’t afford high prices of certain drugs.”
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a nonprofit that provides HIV testing and medical services, is supporting the effort.
The group is required to gather more than 90,000 initial petition signatures, after which the proposed law changes would be forwarded to the state Legislature for lawmakers’ consideration.
The House and Senate would have about four months to act on the legislation. Absent lawmakers’ approval, the group could collect additional signatures and push the issue to the general-election ballot.
The board’s main task was to consider whether the proposed statute was one issue or multiple ones. Members ultimately decided to certify the proposal as a single issue.