Hispanics & African Americans among those at Risk due to high cost of Prescription Drugs.

The high costs of prescription drugs led many Hispanics and African Americans to take desperate measures, like delaying filling a prescription or skipping doses, according to a new AARP national study of adults 18 plus. The study also found a high level of support in the Hispanic and African American communities for state legislation to make prescription drugs more affordable.

“High drug prices mean more than stressing a family budget. Too many people put their health and the health of their families at risk when they cannot afford their drugs,” said AARP Director of Public Policy John Rother. “Four of every 10 Hispanics or African Americans have difficulty paying for their drugs, which is why nearly nine in 10 people in the Hispanic and African American communities support state legislative fixes.

Our job — and the job of our elected officials — is to address this problem with the urgency a crisis of this magnitude demands.”

Hispanics had the most difficulty paying for prescription drugs with more than four in ten saying they had problems paying for a prescription in
the past year; while 38 percent of African Americans experienced difficulty paying for drugs. When asked about their ability to pay for prescription drugs over the next two years, 61 percent of Hispanics and 68 percent of African American expressed concern.

Health insurance coverage is an important factor in the ability to pay for prescription drugs. The U.S. Census Bureau, in 2005, indicated that the
uninsured rate for Hispanics was 32.7 percent and 19.6 percent for African Americans. Further, African Americans are more likely to have public
insurance coverage through programs such as Medicaid and Medicare Part D. Hispanics, however, are more likely to pay full retail price without the
benefit of any discount for prescription drugs.

The report also found a majority support state legislation to help bring down drug prices. For instance, over 87% of Hispanics and African Americans support state legislation to allow the states to do bulk purchasing for prescription drugs and pass the savings on to those without adequate drug coverage. A large majority, over 81% of Hispanics and 79% of African Americans, support legislation that would require drug manufactures
to report their spending on marketing to doctors.

In New York, AARP supports a state Senate and Assembly bill — S.2971 and A.7468 — that would require drug companies to report all gifts to
doctors over $75. “Pharmaceutical companies spend over $7 billion a year on gifts, such as meals, trips and entertainment, to doctors to persuade them to prescribe newer and, in many cases, more expensive drugs when generic and less expensive alternatives are just as effective,” said Yvette Martinez, AARP Associate State Director. “We want to shine a light on this practice to assure that patients are being prescribed the best medicines
based on the very best scientific evidence.”

Last year, the bill passed overwhelming in the state Assembly with bipartisan support, however, it died in the state Senate. The bill is
before the state legislature again this year.

To view report CLICK on link below :
http://www.aarp.org/research/health/drugs/hisp_aa_rx.html>