THE RESULTS ARE IN—OSPIRG's Laura Etherton (right) disucsses election night results, showing 77 percent in favor of Measure 44 to cut prescription drug prices, with Maribeth Healey, Director of Oregonians for Health Security (left) and Margaret Noel, President of League of Women Voters of Oregon (center).

On Nov. 7, Oregon voters enacted a powerful solution to the problem of skyrocketing prescription drug costs, with 77 percent voting yes on measure 44—Prescription for a Healthy Oregon.

Voters overwhelmingly agreed to expand the Oregon Prescription Drug Program to all 1 million Oregonians lacking prescription drug coverage.

The program pools the buying power of uninsured Oregonians,
some state agencies and local governments to negotiate lower prices with the drug companies.

Savings can be as high as 60 percent and the discounted drugs are available at nearly every pharmacy in the state.

OSPIRG encourages Oregonians lacking drug coverage to contact the Oregon Prescription Drug Program to sign up at 888-411 -OPDP or www.OPDP.org.

“The measure’s passage helps cut costs for the Oregonians paying the highest prices at the drug counter—those lacking insurance coverage,” said OSPIRG’s Laura Etherton.

A recent OSPIRG study found that, with no one to negotiate lower prices on their behalf, uninsured consumers pay an average of 61 percent more than the federal government for the same drugs.

In the spring of 2006, OSPIRG teamed up with other state PIRGs across the country to survey more than 600 pharmacies in 35 cities—including the Portland area—to determine how much uninsured consumers pay for 10 common drugs used by Americans under 65. The report compared the results with prices paid by the federal government, and with Oregon’s new prescription drug purchasing pool, which uses its buying power to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices.

The study found that Oregon’s prescription drug buying pool, The Oregon Prescription Drug Program, is succeeding in negotiating lower prices.

Uninsured consumers not eligible for the program pay 23 percent more on average, and as high as 43 percent more, for the drugs surveyed.

“When uninsured Oregonians go it alone at the pharmacy, they pay the price,” said Etherton.

The voter-approved expansion of the Oregon Prescription Drug Program means fewer Oregonians will face such high prices.