HARTFORD, CT – In the face of rising prescription drug prices in the state, Senate Democratic leaders again laid out their plan to help mitigate those costs Tuesday during a news conference at the Legislative Office Building.
Senate Bill 8, which is currently before the Human Services Committee, includes several provisions that would presumably improve access to more affordable prescription drugs for Connecticut residents.
Pharmacists, however, are opposed to the legislation.
At Tuesday’s news conference, Sen. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, said that the costs that Americans, and Connecticut residents in particular, have to pay for medicine are absurd and that the system of setting drug prices is “out of date.”
Lesser, who co-chairs the committee, said that pharmaceutical companies are making drugs nearly unaffordable for people who need them, such as those with diabetes. Of those who need to take insulin in order to survive, Lesser said one in four cannot afford it.
“It is so critically important that nobody gets denied insulin because of their income, their means, or their type of insurance,” he said.
Nora Duncan, state director for AARP Connecticut, said that one in five older adults in the state has gone without filling a prescription – or has skipped doses – because they can’t afford it.
“We all know that if you can’t afford your medication, it doesn’t work,” Duncan said.
California recently invested $50 million in a 10-year contract with the Utah-based non-profit Civica for the manufacture of low-cost insulin. Lesser said there is an opportunity, through SB 8, to put in place a program that would bring nonprofit insulin to the state at no cost to consumers.
The bill would also have Connecticut follow Florida in an effort to import prescription drugs from Canada, a practice that was recently approved by the Biden administration.
The Federal Drug and Food Association would need to approve the importation of Canadian drugs, and testing would need to be done, Lesser said, adding that while there is no timeline in place for when Canadian drugs could become available to Connecticut residents the state would be in a position to follow the road map laid out by Florida.
Senate President Martin Looney, D-New Haven, and Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, also voiced their support for the bill.
However, there is some skepticism about the actual efficacy and implementation of importing drugs from Canada, as well as requiring hospitals to monitor drug supply and predict shortages.
Paul Pascatello, senior counsel and a lobbyist for the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, said Tuesday that the importation of prescription drugs from Canada to Florida has only recently been approved, and that there is no road map in place. He also said that some of the costs surrounding medication are necessary, as they fund research and development for many drugs, not just the ones that get approved.
“If it doesn’t get paid for, it’s not going to get done,” Pescatello said. He also argued that a country of Canada’s size would not be able to adequately supplement a country the size of the United States with its own prescription drugs.
Pharmacists from several organizations in the state shared testimony with the Human Services Committee at a public hearing that followed the news conference. They said that for many reasons the bill is not the right move for Connecticut.
Laura Bonnell, founder of the Bonnell Foundation for children with cystic fibrosis, said in her written testimony that the bill would only be a hindrance to making medication in Connecticut more affordable.
“The Bonnell Foundation is in strong opposition to Senate Bill 8, which as written will do nothing to truly save Connecticut patients money on the cost of their prescription drugs, but will crush the hope that many Connecticut families hold out for new treatments and cures for their chronic disease,” she wrote.
There is also a provision in the bill that would require hospitals to track their drug supply in order to better predict when they may run out.
While Lesser said that is currently occurring on an anecdotal basis around the state, there is no standardization for the practice.
The Connecticut Hospital Association submitted a written testimony to the committee as well, suggesting that extra requirements on hospitals will only put more strain on overwhelmed staff.
“These issues are persistent and arise from federal oversight of the interstate supply chain. While every effort should be considered to address this issue, actions that will have unintended consequences and risk exacerbating shortages should not be implemented,” the testimony read.
The hospital association also said it applauded the goals of SB 8, and that in 2023 there was a 17% increase in the cost of drugs.
