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A new national poll commissioned by Patients for Affordable Drugs Now (P4ADNOW) revealed overwhelming bipartisan support among Americans for comprehensive drug-pricing reform in the U.S.[1] Results of the poll, which was conducted by telephone on April 9-14, 2022, among 1,000 likely voters nationwide, were released by P4ADNOW on April 25, 2022.
When asked whether the price of prescription drugs is generally too high, too low or about right, 82% of poll respondents said the price is too...
A new national poll commissioned by Patients for Affordable Drugs Now (P4ADNOW) revealed overwhelming bipartisan support among Americans for comprehensive drug-pricing reform in the U.S.[1] Results of the poll, which was conducted by telephone on April 9-14, 2022, among 1,000 likely voters nationwide, were released by P4ADNOW on April 25, 2022.
When asked whether the price of prescription drugs is generally too high, too low or about right, 82% of poll respondents said the price is too high. Moreover, 79% thought that the amount that drug companies charge for prescription drugs is unreasonable, with 46% saying the amount is very unreasonable.
The issue of unaffordable prescription drugs touches many Americans personally: Nearly half of poll respondents (45%) reported that they or an immediate family member had a personal experience in which high prescription drug prices were harmful to their health or hurt them financially.
The poll confirmed that most Americans want Congress to act on unaffordable prescription drugs. In particular, 85% of poll respondents said that lowering the prices for prescription drugs should be an important priority for Congress, with 42% saying it should be a top priority. Furthermore, a whopping 89% of respondents believed that elected federal officials in Washington, D.C., have not done enough to lower the prices of prescription drugs.
Unsurprisingly, 83% of poll respondents expressed support for a widely publicized proposal being considered by Congress that would give Medicare the power to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs directly with pharmaceutical companies, with 89% of Democrats, 77% of Independents and 80% of Republicans favoring such action.
More than three-quarters of respondents (77%) likewise favored another proposal before Congress that would penalize drug companies for raising prices on prescription drugs each year more than the rate of inflation. Eighty-four percent of Democrats, 70% of Independents and 75% of Republicans polled favored this proposal.
Results of the poll also showed that a large majority of Americans soundly reject Big Pharma’s fallacious arguments that granting Medicare the authority to negotiate lower drug prices would stifle innovation to develop new medications. Finally, across the political spectrum, Americans believe that major reforms are needed in the prescription drug market to rein in out-of-control prices, including 86% of Democrats, 73% of Independents and 83% of Republicans. Few issues facing this country today garner such striking bipartisan agreement.
Americans clearly are fed up with the relentless price-gouging practices of the pharmaceutical industry and want Congress to finally pass legislation that would comprehensively reform drug pricing in the U.S. Patients cannot afford any further inaction by Congress on this issue.
References
[1] Patients for Affordable Drugs Now. New poll: Overwhelming bipartisan voter support for comprehensive drug pricing reform Is unwavering. April 25, 2022. https://patientsforaffordabledrugsnow.org/2022/04/25/new-poll-overwhelming-bipartisan-voter-support-for-comprehensive-drug-pricing-reform-is-unwavering/. Accessed May 9, 2022.
