Per Montgomery County:
For Immediate Release: Monday, October 3, 2022
Maryland is a top ten state when it comes to health care according to the latest U.S. News & World Report Overall Best States report. Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich continues to support efforts for prescription drug price reform. On Tuesday, October 4 he’ll attend a forum in Silver Spring to learn more about work being done by the Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board.
- When: Starts at 10 a.m.
- Where: Riderwood Senior Living, 3150 Gracefield Road, Silver Spring 20904
- Event will be located inside the Lakeside Commons Encore Theater
Since September, the Maryland Health Care for All! Coalition and AARP Maryland have been behind a series of community forums across the state. Members of Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board have presented their work to the public at these community gatherings. The forums have also focused on public education, receiving input from consumers and elevating patient stories.
“We are excited to hear about the proposals and recommendations that will save Marylanders money at the drug store,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “When we started this push to convince state lawmakers to establish the Prescription Drug Affordability Board in 2019 we were desperate for ways to bring down prescription drug costs. Very little has changed in the market since then so we anticipate these measures, when adopted by lawmakers, will have a massive impact in the lives of Marylanders.”
The Prescription Drug Affordability Board is the first of its kind in the nation. The Board has the authority to examine the high cost of prescription drugs and ascertain how to make these costs more affordable for Marylanders. By 2023, the board will be required to make recommendations to the Maryland General Assembly on how to make high-cost drugs more affordable for all Marylanders. Many states across the country are working to replicate Maryland’s landmark law.
“The Board has been doing a great job researching the drug-cost issue in Maryland,” said Vincent DeMarco, president of the Maryland Health Care for All! Coalition. “The information gathered at these forums will help the Board formulate smart strategies to bring down drug costs, something that is urgently needed.”
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