Hundreds of thousands of Mainers, both young and old, rely on prescription medication to remain healthy. But big pharmaceutical companies keep hiking up their prices year after year, making it harder for many to access the medication they need.

Over 200,000 Mainers have gone without care or prescribed medication due to the cost at some point. And the pandemic has only made it worse. With many Mainers still looking for work while drug prices continue to spike, thousands more will be forced to either ration the medication they desperately need, or go without it entirely.

As Big Pharma continues to increase their prices simply to make a profit, many Maine families are forced to choose between paying for basic necessities, like heating their home or putting food on the table, and affording their prescription medication. This is unconscionable.

That’s why we urge you to support State Senator Ned Claxton’s new bill, LD 675, which will help protect Mainers from unnecessary price increases on prescription medication. This bill makes prescription drug manufacturers subject to fines if they increase their drug prices without providing adequate evidence to support it.

Big Pharma’s unsupported price increases contribute significantly to our ever-rising healthcare costs and have an outsized effect on older Mainers, middle-to-low-income families, and people living with disabilities.

By forcing Big Pharma to provide evidence to support increases in prices, Maine can ensure that prescription medication is accessible and affordable, and that all pricing is transparent.

We need Mainers safe and healthy, now and long after this pandemic. Having access to their prescribed medication is an important part of that. Support LD 675!