Georgia seniors have seen a 73% increase in prescriptions over last 7 years, AARP says

ATLANTA — Drug prices continue to rise, and a recent AARP report says prescription drug prices have risen 73% in the last seven years, hurting Georgia’s seniors.

Al Dixson said the cost of prescription drugs has been a problem during his entire time as a pharmacist and a partial owner of Richmond Hill Pharmacy in Bryan County.

“Throughout my career — my 40-year career — we’ve seen prices outpace inflation and it’s been a struggle to continue to provide medication to the patients,” Dixson said. “It increases the burden on us, increases the burden on the patient.”

One drug price analyst says the profits are going to insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers, who are the middlemen between drug companies and insurance companies.

Rebates are given to PBMs when drugs are purchased by patients, which should then be distributed back to insurance companies and then patients, but the process isn’t regulated.

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A recent survey of voters found that a “strong majorities of voters want Congress to act on the issue, with 89% saying it is very important. The survey also found that 94% of voters support allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices,” AARP said.

“Americans don’t want to pay three times what people in other countries pay for the same drugs. More than 4 million people across the country are joining AARP to demand lower prices for prescription drugs,” said Debra Tyler Horton, executive director of AARP Georgia.

Last week, a health care and climate agreement was struck by Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, which includes landmark provisions that could help senior citizens, including a cap on out-of-pocket Medicare drug costs and a requirement that the government negotiates prices on some high-cost drugs.

The Senate is expected to vote on the measure this week.

Information from WJCL and The Associated Press was used in this article.

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