San Antonio Express-News: Your Turn: Sept. 22
Drug price a failure
Re: "Drug ODs perilously high in Texas," Editorial, Sept. 12:
UT Health San Antonio's response to the opioid crisis by distributing lifesaving naloxone overdose drugs to our Fire Department is encouraging.
The soaring cost of these drugs is overwhelming many communities. As an ABC News headline reported, "Health Workers Ration Opioid Overdose Antidote Amid Price Hikes." Taking advantage of a nationwide problem, pharmaceutical companies have spiked the price for naloxone by almost 700 percent. In a rare U.S. surgeon general advisory, the public was urged to carry naloxone, but for most the price is prohibitive.
I previously joined a plea from the city of Baltimore to use an existing law to lower prices and offered a related amendment to recent legislation. Unfortunately, this Trump-dominated Congress only wants to create the appearance of addressing this opioid crisis, while refusing to deal with either price gouging or necessary treatment resources. Instead of looking to medical and substance abuse experts, President Donald Trump has handled this as a communications problem by entrusting federal leadership to his propagandist extraordinaire, Kellyanne Conway. Like his abandoned promises to lower prescription drug costs, Trump has failed completely to meet the opioid challenge.
Congress should help consumers and provide a strong federal backup for local governments and nonprofits to prevent overdose deaths and offer the treatment that so many desperately need. Hopefully, next year we will have the votes to do just that.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett,
D-San Antonio