Featured photo: Audrey Gerard, healthcare organizer at Michigan United
Written by Tanya Terry
One in four Americans are not able to afford their medicines, according to the Roadmap for Executive Action on Drug Prices for the Make Meds Affordable Campaign.
Audrey Gerard, healthcare organizer at Michigan United, recently talked to the Courier about how Black and brown communities are disproportionately bearing suffering because of this.
“Right now, in the United States and in Michigan, prescription drug corporations are continually raising the prices of already outrageous medications,” Gerard expressed. “A lot of Black and brown communities are communities that are impacted by several health disparities. Due to those health disparities, whether it be a water crisis or unequal access to healthy foods, there are currently more disproportionate forms of suffering that I just hear. I’ve heard this in organizing and definitely in Detroit, Flint, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and even in some of the more rural areas.”
The Make Meds Affordable Campaign started around the spring of 2022, according to Audrey Gerard, healthcare organizer at Michigan United.
“We started in March, and then we launched here in Michigan for the federal campaign in April,” Gerard explained.
The campaign is targeting President Joe Biden and Xavier Becerra, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
There is a focus through the campaign to make the following six drugs more affordable: Xtandi, Paxlovid, Epclusa, Descovy, Symbicort and insulin.
“Our main problem that we have seen in the Make Meds Affordable Campaign is that there are currently high prices persisting because current markets hold the monopoly power for drug corporations. So, because they have a grasp and a hold on these six prescription drugs that we’re targeting…because they have monopolies, they’re able to charge outrageously higher amounts, and corporations are making billions of dollars off this. They’re not offering a generic option. So, many people rationing or completely going off medication they need in order to be healthy and active.”
Gerard is hopeful the price of one of the drugs they have been focusing on, insulin, will decrease in price because of the Inflation Reduction Act.
“However, there still won’t be a generic version. So, the market would still have the monopoly power on that.”
To select which drugs which would be focused on for the campaign, Gerard explained Michigan United went through communities that all their organizations work with.
“We spoke with people in communities asking them what drugs they’re having trouble being able to afford.”
Insulin was the drug people said was hard to afford the most times here in the state of Michigan.
“Currently, insulin is at a 250% inflation rate. I believe that is one thing that is hopefully going to be reduced by the Inflation Reduction Act. But I guess only time can tell.”
Interestingly, according to multiple sources including healthline.com, in 1921 Dr. Frederick Banting and Charles Best were the main two individuals, along with Dr. James Collip, who had their names attached to the patent awarded in January 1923 to their method of making insulin. Their original intellectual property rights were sold for just $3 in Canadian money. When the researchers were ready to turn over the patent of their discovery to the University of Toronto for production purposes in 1923, they agreed to receive only $1 each (the equivalent of $14 today) in compensation.
The drugs being focused on are used for treating COVID-19, hepatitis, HIV, prostate cancer, asthma and diabetes. Gerard pointed out these are all common ailments they are seeing in several communities throughout Michigan.
Many individuals have shared their personal experiences with not being able to afford medications with Michigan United.
“We had a person who came forward and shared their story on insulin. They were saying they had to move to a different country. They moved to Canada as basically a medical refuge because they could not afford their insulin medication in the state of Michigan.”
Gerard stated insulin in Canada, where the individual has dual citizenship, is completely covered. Although the majority of the individual’s family is in Southeast Michigan, they had to move to Canada in order to receive care.
“People are going to great lengths to get medication, and people that can’t get insulin could possibly die.”
The Make Meds Affordable Campaign aims to end monopolies and lower drug prices.
“My thought and the thought of the campaign is that no one should have to decide between buying groceries and paying for a medication they need to live.”
Flint area community members are invited to support the Make Meds Affordable Campaign. To sign a petition to support the campaign by asking Becerra to use executive action to lower the price of the six medications listed above in the article , click here: .Becerra petition
To share your story concerning the affordability of your own prescription drugs, click here: Story capture form
For more information about Michigan United, including contact information, click here: Michigan United | Justice and Dignity (miunited.org)
