State Legislators Guide to Prescription Drug Policy

by Christie Herrera

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Introduction

With rising health care costs and declining tax revenues, state legislators are increasingly looking for ways to cut spending and reform our health care sector. And despite the fact that prescription drug spending has reached its lowest rate of growth in 45 years, some lawmakers view health “reform” through the lens of price controls on lifesaving prescription drugs; restrictions on pharmaceutical ads that help inform patients; and restrictive drug formularies that harm our most vulnerable citizens.

As an ALEC legislator, you know health reform legislation should mirror the same Hippocratic Oath that guides the practice of medicine—”First, do no harm.” And you also know the best health care is patient- and market-driven, not government-driven.

That is what makes the ALEC State Legislators Guide to Prescription Drug Policy an essential tool in navigating the complex world of prescription drug policy with an eye toward our common principles.

The Guide will provide “plain English” definitions of common prescription drug policy issues you’ll hear in your statehouse. It will identify the harmful, unintended consequences of these “reforms” to help you in floor debate. And most importantly, it will help you identify effective health reform solutions that curb rising health costs without restricting access to prescription drugs.

State Legislators Guide to Prescription Drug Policy by ALEC_States