Bernie Sanders Goes Off on Rising Prescription Drug Prices Senate Floor 9/21/16

[Donkees]

Published on Sep 21, 2016
Bernie Sanders Goes Off on Rising Prescription Drug Prices Senate Floor 9/21/16

[Donkees]

1. Sanders, Warren: Prioritize Life-Saving Drugs, Not Drugmakers’ Profits

Sanders, Warren: Prioritize Life-Saving Drugs, Not Drugmakers’ Profits
Wednesday, September 21, 2016


WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 – Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined forces Wednesday to oppose legislation that would slow the approval of priority medications and do nothing to lower prescription drug prices.

Republicans accepted a counter-proposal from Sanders and Warren that would only extend the voucher program through the end of the year to allow time to come to an agreement on medical research funding.

“There are many reasons why we pay such outrageous prices but one reason is we continue passing laws written by the pharmaceutical industry and their lobbyists year after year,” Sanders said during a speech on the Senate floor.

The bill the senators blocked would expand a program that rewards specialty drug development by giving pharmaceutical companies vouchers they can use to speed up approval of other drugs. Under the legislation opposed by the Food and Drug Administration, drug companies are also allowed to sell the voucher to other drugmakers. A voucher last year sold for $350 million.

A Government Accountability Office report released in March found no evidence the voucher system works and instead found the program slows the FDA’s review of life-saving drugs.

“When one of these vouchers is used, that means FDA staff must take time away from reviewing priority medications in order to review drugs that have bought a pass to the front of the line. By moving one drug faster, more important drugs may move slower,” Sanders said.

“Of course we want new drugs to cure diseases, but those new drugs won't do anybody any good if people can't afford them."

While nearly one in five Americans cannot afford to fill their prescriptions, the top five drug companies made a combined $50 billion in profits last year. The pharmaceutical industry has spent more than $3 billion on lobbying since 1998.

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-warren-prioritize-life-saving-drugs-not-drugmakers-profits

[Stevepol]

2. The voice of one crying in the wilderness.

[LS_Editor]

3. Such a missed opportunity for this country.

[Sherman A1]

4. Agreed

Hit the nail on the head.

[kacekwl]

5. I hope there are more like him

in the near future. Missed opportunity indeed.

[George II]

8. Hillary Clinton is our nominee.

[LS_Editor]

10. Exactly.

[SamKnause]

9. I agree 100% !!!

A missed opportunity for this country and the world.

[Highway61]

11. I agree

Missed opportunity indeed

[democrattotheend]

6. That's the Bernie I know

He's been doing rants like this for years. The good news is, now he will have more of an audience for it because people know who he is.

[Donkees]

7. Sen. Sanders wants to hear from you - Drug Prices Questionnaire

Drug Prices
Americans pay, by far, the highest prices for prescription drugs in the entire world. In 2014, nearly one in five Americans between the ages of 19 and 64 – 35 million people – did not fill their prescriptions because they did not have enough money. In the wealthiest country in the history of the world, Americans should not have to live in fear that they will go bankrupt or die because they cannot afford to take the medication they need.

Have you seen the price of your medicine go up/increase? How has this impacted you and your family? Are you splitting pills in half to make your prescriptions last longer? Have you had to stop taking medicine altogether in order to pay other bills? Have specific generic drugs you take shot up in price? Sen. Sanders wants to hear from you.

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/drug-prices