A lot of things have to go right — but probably won’t — for Coloradans to achieve even modest savings.
prescription drugs
Posted inHealth
Colorado just released the list of prescription drugs it wants to import from Canada
In an application sent to the federal government, the state is asking to import 112 drugs at an average savings of 65%
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Colorado moves another step closer to importing lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada
Colorado has taken another step toward importing lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada, after signing contracts with companies on both sides of the border that will handle the transaction. The state hopes that bringing in regular, everyday prescription drugs from Canada, where they are sold at a lower price than in the United States, will help […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Littwin: Hickenlooper never gave up on Manchin. Could that really be why Manchin never gave up on the climate bill?
In the biggest congressional news of late and very possibly the most important since Joe Biden took office, Sen. Joe Manchin has changed his position — yes, one more time — on Biden’s much-reduced, yet-still-all-important climate-change package. In a city where secrets are rarely held for long, Manchin’s announcement of yet another change of heart […]
Posted inHealth, News, Politics and Government
Colorado’s plan to import prescription drugs from Canada just got a boost, thanks to Congress
Let’s say you take a daily dose of a really common medication — maybe Lipitor, at 10mg a pop. If you walk into a Denver-area pharmacy and pay out of pocket for the brand-name version, you are looking at around $1,000 for a 90-day supply, according to prices tracked at GoodRX. That comes out to […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Drugs don’t work if we can’t afford them
I was troubled by the false choice presented in a recent opinion column from Sabrina Walker. Patients do not need to choose between lowering drug prices and protecting pharmaceutical innovation. The drug pricing reforms that are under consideration by the U.S. Senate will maintain the innovation we need at prices we can afford. Like Sabrina, […]
Posted inHealth, News
How a rural Colorado town without a pharmacy is crowdsourcing to get meds
By Markian Hawryluk, Kaiser Health News WALDEN — The building that once housed the last drugstore in this town of fewer than 600 is now a barbecue restaurant, where pit boss Larry Holtman dishes out smoked brisket and pulled pork across the same counter where pharmacists dispensed vital medications more than 30 years ago. It’s […]
Posted inHealth, News
Colorado’s program to stop patients from “doctor shopping” for opioids hasn’t been working, audit finds
A Colorado program that allows doctors, dentists, pharmacists and others to check a database before issuing prescriptions for certain drugs hasn’t stopped so-called “doctor shopping” for opioids and sedatives and requires legislation to compel prescribers to register with the database and to use it. That’s according to the Office of the State Auditor, which examined Colorado’s Prescription […]
Posted inBusiness, Health, News, Politics and Government
Colorado lawmakers wage multifront assault on high drug costs
By Markian Hawryluk, Kaiser Health News Tired of waiting for federal action to reduce prescription drug costs, Colorado is acting on its own — even if it must do so with one arm tied behind its back. Unable to set prices or change patent protections, the state is exploring creative legislative and administrative approaches to […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Colorado needs a Prescription Drug Affordability Board to protect the public interest
As someone living with multiple sclerosis, I have seen first hand the cost of MS disease modifying therapies (DMTs) rise, making these essential medications unattainable for some patients. Drug prices for individuals with MS quadrupled between 2006 and 2016 and continue to rise. MS DMT costs have accelerated at rates far beyond inflation and considerably […]