Group Urges State Lawmakers To Study Drug Pricing

A petition urging Indiana lawmakers to study rising drug prices was delivered to the Statehouse this week.

Some states have laws that force drug makers to report on the cause of dramatic drug price increases.  An Indiana group that advocates for affordable insulin delivered an online petition to Public Health Committee members this week, asking them to consider such a measure.

Sa’Ra Skipper was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 5-years-old.  The cost of insulin has climbed in recent years, and Skipper says even with insurance her prescription costs about $1,000 a month.

“Now as a working adult, I need to pick and choose, do I want my insulin or do I want to pay my bills?” says Skipper. “So it’s just hard.”

Other drugs have become unaffordable for many people, causing some to ration their medicine.  Drug pricing legislation allows states to collect data on generic brands, production costs and sales to curb price hikes.

Skipper says transparency and a greater understanding of the issue would help.

“You know there are generic version out there, but why are we not able to get them. Why are we not able to have access to them if there is something that we can afford? Why not make it easier on the people who need it?” says Skipper.

The petition asking lawmakers to address the issue was sent was signed by nearly 500 people.