Lower Prescription Drug Prices for All

Dear Senator Chuck Grassley,

As Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, I request that you continue to protect the rights of Americans by rallying support from your fellow Republicans regarding Bill S. 2019, the Preserve Access to Affordable Generics Act. As a supporter of this bill, you understand the importance of this bill in ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable generic prescription drugs that are integral to their health and well-being.

If enacted, this will authorize the Federal Trade Commission to regulate and penalize anti-competitive agreements between generic brand companies and manufacturer brand companies. In these agreements, brand name pharmaceuticals give generic drug companies large amounts of money in exchange for promises to drop patent challenges and delay production of lower costing generic drugs. This is so that brand names can make greater profit without fear of generic competition. More regulation of these type of deals would make sure that contracts are fair to consumers and allow lower costing generic drugs to come to market sooner. With the cost of generic drugs over 90% less than the cost of brand name prescription drugs, generics are much more affordable to Americans. High prescription drug prices especially affect older Americans because older adults constitute more than one-third of total spending on prescription drugs. Since older adults are typically retired, they do not have income coming in. It is imperative that medicine is available for older adults at affordable prices.

Older adults constitute of 15% the US population and are continuing to grow. As the population that has the highest voting turnout, I ask for your support for this bill so that we can continue to support you. Just because pharmaceutical companies can charge consumers higher prices on prescription drugs in order maintain high profits, it does not mean that they should. Please continue to support the American people, many who depend on prescription drugs for a better life. Thank you.