Drugmakers would have to give notice before hiking prescription prices under bill passed by Oregon Senate

With 1 in 5 consumers reporting not purchasing medicines because of the price and 1 in 10 skipping or splitting doses against doctor’s orders, state lawmakers are taking notice.

The Oregon Senate voted unanimously on June 7 to pass House Bill 2658, which would require drug manufacturers to provide 60-days advance notice before significantly increasing the cost of prescription drugs. California passed similar legislation in 2018. Since then, drugmakers have canceled several planned price hikes after public outcry.

“It’s a small step, but an important one,” OSPIRG Health Care Advocate Numi Lee Griffith told the Portland Business Journal. “It gives more leverage to insurance companies and patients so they won’t be blindsided by a price increase, and so people have an opportunity to plan ahead or look for an alternative.”

The bill now advances to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s desk, and OSPIRG is urging her to sign it into law.

Read the press release.

Photo: 1 in 5 Americans report not buying prescribed drugs due to the cost, while 1 in 10 report skipping doses or splitting pills against doctor’s orders. Credit: wavebreakmedia via Shutterstock