The EACH/PIC Coalition submitted comments to the Oregon PDAB in advance of their meeting to make the final selection of drugs for affordability review. Additionally, the letter provided input for the board on patient engagement, sharing best practices and lessons learned in other states.
The letter stated:
“We urge the board to clearly outline metrics and define affordability to ensure that affordability reviews are performed with consistency and a clear focus on patient benefit. A narrow focus on systemic or payer-level costs overlooks the most meaningful measure of affordability: whether individuals can obtain and adhere to the medications they need. Therefore, we urge the board to prioritize patient costs as a key aspect and focus of any affordability measurement, specifically patient out-of-pocket (OOP) costs.“
“[W]e also urge the board to put significant emphasis on gathering input from patients throughout the affordability review process. This will ensure that the board is appropriately identifying and addressing real patient problems and that patients’ lived experiences are addressed by board proposed policy solutions.”
“[W]e welcome the opportunity to speak directly to board members and staff to share our own observations and offer input on better practices that could be implemented to improve outcomes in your state.”