Minnesota House Passes Strongest Prescription Drug Affordability Board in the Nation

Saint Paul, Minn. – Today the Minnesota House passed a proposal to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board in the Commerce omnibus bill. The Prescription Drug Affordability Board, sometimes called a PDAB, will serve as a watchdog and have the authority to set upper payment limits on certain high-cost drugs.

“We should take strong action now. I am confident that this will reduce costs for consumers. I am confident that consumers need this,” said Chair Zack Stephenson, lead House author of the Prescription Drug Affordability Board on the House floor. “The Prescription Drug Affordability Board is ideally suited to step between the monopolistic power of big pharmaceutical companies and consumers who need their products to live. Minnesotans can’t wait. Their drugs are bankrupting them now. They’re rationing their drugs now. They need relief now.”

After the Senate rammed through an amendment that would gut the bill by excluding nearly all high-cost drugs from being included in the PDAB, the House rejected all poison pill amendments.

“We applaud the House for standing with patients and passing the strongest Prescription Drug Affordability Board in the nation,” said Robert Haider, legislative director with TakeAction Minnesota. “Our elected officials are responsible for addressing out-of-control drug costs. Minnesotans are not falling for Big Pharma’s scare tactics or advertising campaigns meant to cause confusion and are counting on lawmakers to pass the House’s clean bill.”

Action to lower drug costs is supported by patients, nurses, physicians, farmers, small business owners, faith leaders, and community organizations around the state. A recent survey found nearly half of Minnesotans are worried about prescription drug costs, and more than one in five residents have recently rationed prescription medicines due to cost. All Minnesota residents pay the high cost of prescription drugs through our health insurance premiums, at the pharmacy, and through the public health toll when people can’t afford the medicine they need.