EDITORIAL: Deceptive lobbying can’t be allowed to keep medicine prices expensive

Jan. 27--The price of prescription drugs in America is unnecessarily high. This has created a hardship for many, particularly for those who don't have adequate insurance coverage. The prices have become so inflated that many -- too many -- can't afford the medication they need to preserve their quality of life.

Now, to be clear, we don't begrudge pharmaceutical companies a reasonable profit on the drugs they invent and manufacture. Innovation benefits us all.

However, efforts in Congress to negotiate drug prices for Medicare patients or establish reasonable regulations to cap prices have been clouded by lobbying groups, some of which may well be working in a clandestine manner for Big Pharma.

The result is confusion (OK, more confusion than usual) in Washington, D.C.

It's time to cut through the haze and get serious about this issue. Having access to life-saving medicine is critical to many Americans.

The Washington Post recently reported that an increase in advertising, advocacy and pressure tactics is aimed at thwarting proposals to control drug costs proposed in the Democratic-controlled House, such as allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, as well as ideas to reduce prices pursued by President Donald Trump.

Essentially, lobbying groups with consumer-friendly names have surfaced to carry water for Big Pharama.

Some of the more active groups are Alliance for Patient Access and Patients Rising, The Post reported. The Alliance for Patient Access has launched digital and radio advertisements in recent weeks opposing the Trump administration's plans to cut Medicare reimbursement for drugs administered in hospitals and doctor's offices. Patients Rising has a strong presence on social media.

"Sometimes it's hard to figure out, 'Is this real, or this is a tool of the people who make money on drugs?' " said David Mitchell, a multiple myeloma patient who is executive director of a consumer advocacy group that supports Medicare price negotiations.

These groups don't always list their donors or, if they do, they make it tough to trace. Let's just say they don't embrace transparency.

Those behind these efforts to stop Congress and Trump from reducing drug prices have every right to voice their opinions, but they should do so with their identities known.

A system is needed that will mandate identification of donors to advocacy groups as well as those who hire lobbyists.

Yes, rules are in place now but clearly Big Pharma has figured out ways to use their puppets to beat the system.

"Big Pharma has a long history of manipulating this debate," said Peter Maybarduk, director of Public Citizen's Access to Medicines Program.

It's time for that to end.

Real action, whether driven by Congress or the president, must be taken to get the price of prescription drugs under control.

Editorials are the opinion of the Union-Bulletin's Editorial Board. The board is composed of Brian Hunt, Rick Eskil, James Blethen and Alasdair Stewart

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