7609-01 Support Ohio Prescription Drug Fair Pricing Act

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BY: Corrigan, FitzGerald, George, Roth, RESOLUTION NO. 7609-01 Seelie, Skindell, Smith. A RESOLUTION supporting passage of the Ohio Prescription Drug Fair Pricing Act. WttEREAS, one of four Americans, including 2.2 million Ohioans, have no prescription drag coverage; and WItEREAS, prescription drug prices are rising twice as fast as the rate of inflation; and WltEREAS, individual Americans pay thirty to seventy percent more than citizens of Canada and Mexico for the same prescriptions and about twice what the federal government pays for the same drugs under the Federal Supply Schedule; and WI-IEREAS, prescription drug spending in the United States rose nearly 17% in 1999 - some $99.6 billion - and spending on pharmaceuticals is anticipated to rise 12.6% annually until 2010; and WI-IEREAS, the pharmaceutical industry is the most profitable industry in the workl, making profits of 18.3% compared to an average profit of 5% for other industries; and WI-IEREAS, passage of H.B. 290 and S.B. 127, the prescription Drug Fair Pricing Act, Which is pending before the 124th Ohio General Assembly, would address these issues by: · Providing a prescription drug card to all Ohioans who do not have prescriptions drug coverage or are grossly underinsured; · Giving the State of Ohio the authority to negotiate substantial rebates from drug con-~panies and discounts from drug retailers, then passing the savings on to participants; · Providing the State of Ohio the tools to help persuade drug companies to negotiate in good faith; and · Paying administrative and other costs out of the negotiated rebates, thus incurring no cost to taxpayers. WttEREAS, this resolution constitutes an emergency measure for the mediate preservation of public peace, property, health or safety, now, therefore: BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD, STATE OF OHIO: Section 1. That in adopting this Resolution this Council supp°rts the passage by the 124t~ Ohio General AssemblyofH.B. 290 and S.B. 127, the Prescription Drug Fair Pricing Act; and Section 2. That the Clerk of Council be and she is hereby authorized and directed to transmit this resolution to Speaker of the House of Representatives Larry Householder, House Minority Leader Dean DePiero, Representatives Dale Miller and Bryan Flannery, Senate President Richard Finan, Senate Minority Leader Leigh Herington, Senators Robert Hagan and Dan Brady. Section 3. It is found and determined that all formal actions of this Council concerning and relating to the passage of this resolution were adopted in an open meeting of this Council, and that all such deliberation of Council and of any of its committees that resulted in such formal action were in meetings open to the public in compliance with all President- Mayor