Document text
Battle against high drug costs By Dani Dodge Two doctors are joining forces to help control the skyrocketing drug costs that threaten the Oregon Health Plan. One is Gov. John Kitzhaber. The other is Rep. Alan Bates, a Rogue Valley physician. "The cost of prescription drugs in the Oregon Health Plan is going up 60 percent in the next two years," Kitzhaber said at a press conference this week. "That�s outrageous. We have to put some reasonable, intelligent limits on prescription drug costs and prioritize what the state will pay for." Bates echoed the governor�s concerns in an interview from his office at the Capitol. "We are spending more on the Oregon Drug Plan for pharmaceuticals than doctors or hospitals," said Bates, a Democrat from Eagle Point. "It�s amazing. Almost unbelievable." So this week, Bates introduced the Affordable Prescription Drug Act. If passed, it could save the state $5 million to $7 million a year. The bill would create a list of preferred drugs under the Oregon Health Plan. The list is called a formulary and is a common practice in most private insurance plans. The act does allow physicians to prescribe drugs not on the list if it is in the best interest of the patient. If the doctor grants an exemption from the formulary, there will be no extra cost for the patient. If the patient chooses a drug not on the formulary without a doctor�s exemption, they will pay the difference between the drug they buy and the similar drug on the formulary. "We didn�t want patients hurt by this," Bates said. "Or to tie doctors with a lot of red tape." Similar bills creating a formulary have been introduced by Sen. Lee Beyer, a Democrat from Springfield, and Sen. Bev Clarno, a Republican from Bend. Bates said his bill will allow the existing state Health Resources Commission to create the preferred list of drugs based on effectiveness and cost. If this bill, or one of the others, is not passed, prescription drug costs will rise 60 percent in the next biennium, or $126 million. Bates said most doctors are unaware of the cost of prescription drugs and will not have an issue with the new formulary. Others who have expressed support for the bill include business representatives, hospitals, consumer groups, pharmacists and the Oregon Medical Association, Bates said. "The only people we�ve found so far not in favor are pharmaceutical companies," Bates said. "This is a chance for government to work the way private companies do. Every insurance company does it this way." Kitzhaber said the state must be "judicious with the limited public dollars." Enrollment in the health plan is expected to grow 11 percent in the next two years from 350,000 to 390,000 patients. "There is no reason we can�t be both more cost-effective and provide quality prescription drugs for Oregon Health Plan patients," he said. "The creation of a state formulary will save millions of dollars and allow us to extend basic health care even further." Reach reporter Dani Dodge at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.