The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians has joined the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians in sponsoring a resolution calling for the American Academy of Family Physicians to advocate with Congress for the establishment of mechanisms to ensure that citizens have affordable access to widely used life sustaining or life-saving medications in circumstances where a pharmaceutical company holds monopoly power on that drug. The resolution calls for the AAFP to communicate their concern to members of Congress, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other relevant regulatory agencies; and to advocate for viable alternatives for patient access to EpiPens.
Furthermore, the resolution asks that the AAFP express its concerns publicly through its public relations channels and member communications that access to this important product (EpiPen) and others like it are being limited by financial barriers.
The resolution was introduced in response to recent news stories about the manufacturers of EpiPen and their institution of exorbitant price increases for their product. The resolution will be considered by the AAFP Congress of Delegates at their upcoming meeting to be held Monday-Wednesday, September 19-21, in Orlando.
The text of the entire resolution appears below:
“Whereas patient access to a life-saving drug should not be limited simply because one company holds a monopoly, or virtual monopoly power, on such a product, and
Whereas a recent New York Times article exposed a more than a 600% increase in pricing for “EpiPens” since 2007, and
Whereas the product manufacturer holds a virtual monopoly on EpiPens, and
Whereas the FDA recently rejected a bid for a competitive generic alternative, and
Whereas this monopoly and related price hikes are serious barriers to many patients, especially children, in accessing what is in many cases a life-saving drug, and
Whereas limits on access to potentially life-saving drugs may impact millions of people who rely upon product to protect themselves from dire health outcomes/conditions, and
Whereas even while the EpiPen manufacturer has provided discounts in the wake of the negative publicity that their actions generated, the issue of this type of price-gouging is a significant, uncontrolled, and unnecessary driver of the cost of health care, now therefore be it
RESOLVED that the AAFP express its concerns publicly through its PR channels and member communications that access to this important product (EpiPen) and others like it are being limited by financial barriers, and be it further
RESOLVED that the AAFP communicate its concern to members of Congress, the FDA, and other relevant regulatory agencies, and advocate for viable alternatives for patient access to EpiPens, and be it further
RESOLVED that the AAFP call on the FDA to prioritize and fast-track a generic alternative to EpiPen, and any other widely used life-saving drugs that may currently be subject to monopoly power, and be it further
RESOLVED that the AAFP provide members access to communicate their own concerns regarding EpiPen, and other drug availability and monopolies, to members of Congress, and actively encourage members to contact their Congressional representatives on these topics, and be it further
RESOLVED that the AAFP advocate with Congress for the establishment of mechanisms to ensure that citizens have affordable access to widely used life sustaining or life-saving medications in circumstances where a pharmaceutical company holds monopoly power on that drug.”
In a related matter, view an alternative for patients who face financial barriers.