Affordable Prescription Drugs Fact Sheet

Vote Yes on SB-102 and SB-022
By Sen. Hagedorn and Rep. Madden (SB-102)
Sen. Johnson and Rep. Boyd (SB-022)

SB-102 (Hagedorn, Madden) - Prescription drugs bulk purchasing program. Allows Colorado to join other states in a multi-state purchasing pool and negotiate with the drug manufacturers for their lowest price and in turn make those drugs available to low-income consumers at the discounted rate. To join a multi-state purchasing pool Colorado must have a Preferred Drug List like the one in SB 22.

- Gives the state government the ability to negotiate substantial rebates from drug companies and discounts from retailers, and then pass those savings along to participants (like Sam's Club or Costco).

- Provide tools to help persuade drug companies to negotiate prices in food faith, including public disclosure of uncooperative companies.

SB-022 (Johnson, Boyd) - Legislation to create an Evidence-Based Preferred Drug List. Through the use of evidence- based medicine, Colorado's Medicaid program would select prescription drugs based on their overall effectiveness and safety as well as cost effectiveness. Similar legislation in other states has saved millions, millions that could be used to protect seniors and the disabled from losing their invaluable Medicaid coverage in a time of budget shortfalls. An Evidence Based Preferred drug list would also create a functional marketplace for the purchase of prescription drugs and provide consumers with more information about their prescription drug choices.