This week, I joined twenty nine of my Congressional colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama, which you can read here, expressing our concerns about the dramatic increase in the cost of prescription medications.
I have received many calls from constituents in the 5th District of Missouri expressing their outrage of the rising costs of their prescription drugs. The most recent example of the pharmaceutical industries’ price-gouging is Mylan’s Epi-Pen. The company increased the price of the Epi-Pen, an injector pen for patients with severe allergies, by over 480 percent in a period of 5 years. This medication is critically important for patients who suffer the risk of dying if they do not have it with them. Mylan raised the wholesale price from less than $100 for a two-pack in 2007 to about $600, according to news reports.
It’s no secret this type of unfair pricing on a critical medication devastates working families, low-income individuals, and seniors. No one should have to skip medications or make the hard decision of whether to pay for a child’s lifesaving allergy medication or food for their family.
Make no mistake, we will not let this type of greed continue for companies looking to make a profit on the backs of those who are dependent upon their medications. We are asking the President to address this through executive action and demand transparent and fair pricing of medications for all Americans.
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