CSRXP POLL: AMERICANS EXPECT NEW ADMINISTRATION & CONGRESS TO ACT ON OUT-OF-CONTROL DRUG PRICES, HOLD BIG PHARMA ACCOUNTABLE

Clear Majority of Voters Identify Rx Drug Affordability as Top Issue and Overwhelmingly Back Bipartisan Solutions to Increase Competition, Boost Transparency and Hold Drug Companies Accountable

Washington, D.C. – The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing (CSRxP) released the results of a national survey conducted by Morning Consult Tuesday.

“Too many Americans are struggling to afford their prescription drugs and clear majorities rightly place responsibility at the feet of Big Pharma as the industry continues to hike prices during a pandemic,” said CSRxP executive director Lauren Aronson. “Voters overwhelmingly expect Congress and the new administration to move urgently, and in a bipartisan manner, to follow-through on campaign promises to lower drug prices and hold drug companies accountable.”

“There is broad, bipartisan support for market-based solutions to tackle the crisis of prescription drug affordability, including policies to increase competition, boost transparency, keep price hikes below the rate of inflation, cap out-of-pocket costs and crack down on Big Pharma’s egregious practices,” Aronson continued. “With unprecedented public support for market-based solutions and as many as one in four Americans unable to afford their medications as prescribed, the time for action to lower drug prices and hold Big Pharma accountable is now.”

The survey of 1,992 registered voters was commissioned by CSRxP and conducted by Morning Consult from January 13 to January 16, 2021. Key takeaways include:

Out-of-Control Drug Prices An Urgent Concern for American Families

• 96 Percent: Americans nearly universally agree lowering drug prices is an urgent challenge, with 96 percent of voters saying it is “very” or “somewhat” important among all the issues facing the nation. That includes 71 percent of voters who classify lowering drug prices as “very important.”
• One in Four: More than 25 percent of American voters say they, or both they and another family member, have been unable to afford a prescribed medication in the last 12 months. Additionally, the struggle to afford out-of-control prescription drug prices impacts Americans of every socio-economic background: 22 percent of Americans with an income higher than $100,000 reported being unable to afford a prescribed medication, compared with 25 percent of Americans who make between $50,000 and $100,000 and 28 percent of Americans who make less than $50,000 per year.
• 55 & 66 Percent: The COVID-19 pandemic has made 55 percent of voters more concerned about the affordability of prescription drugs. Among voters who report knowing someone diagnosed with COVID-19, two-thirds say it made them more concerned with the affordability of prescription drugs.

• 86 Percent: More than four-in-five voters (86 percent) say Big Pharma is responsible for rising prescription drug prices. Voters hold drug companies more responsible than any other sector in the drug supply chain. Blame for drug companies is consistent across party lines, with 86 percent of Republicans, 87 percent of Democrats and 84 percent of independents holding Big Pharma responsible for rising drug prices.
• 70/30: Americans voters don’t buy Big Pharma’s bogus innovation rhetoric and overwhelmingly want policymakers to hold drug companies accountable. When asked whether they agree more that:

1. Pharmaceutical companies put profits before people and the industry’s anti-competitive tactics and price-gouging have left too many Americans unable to afford the medications they need to survive and enjoy a strong quality of life. Now is the time for Congress to pass bipartisan, market-based solutions to hold drug companies accountable and lower prescription drug prices.

• 70 percent of voters say Big Pharma continues to put profits over people compared to just 30 percent who say drug companies are doing everything they can.

• 87 Percent: An 87 percent majority of American voters say it is important lawmakers deliver on 2020 campaign promises to lower prescription drug prices and hold Big Pharma accountable.
• >50 Percent: More than half, 54 percent, of voters say they would be less likely to support their representative in Congress in the next election if Congress fails to pass into law any major legislation this year to lower the price of prescription drugs. This includes key voting demographics like independent women and independent men, who say they would be 44 and 53 percent less likely to support their representative in the next election if drug pricing solutions fail to advance.
• 85 Percent: A whopping 85 percent majority of voters agree President Biden should make lowering drug prices a top priority in the first 100 days of the new administration.
• 87 Percent: An overwhelming 87 percent majority of voters agree policymakers must ensure patients can access COVID-19 medications at an affordable price and prevent pharmaceutical companies from setting unreasonably high prices and increasing those prices to boost profits. This includes more than two-thirds of American voters who “strongly agree.”

• 87 Percent: Nearly nine in ten voters believe price increases implemented by Big Pharma during the COVID-19 pandemic increased the financial and emotional burden on Americans during the crisis.
• >Three in Four: 77 percent of voters say the fact that Big Pharma has implemented two major rounds of prescription drug price increases during the pandemic increases the urgency for policymakers in Washington to hold them accountable.

• Three in Four: Nearly three-in-four American voters support increasing competition by reforming the patent system to allow more generics and biosimilars into the marketplace.
• 82 Percent: More than four in five voters support policies to boost transparency in how prescription drugs are priced.
• Four in Five: 80 percent of voters back measures to keep price hikes below the rate of inflation and cap out-of-pocket costs.
• 86 Percent: 86 percent of voters say it is important Congress pass solutions to hold Big Pharma accountable as “an urgent priority.” This level of priority holds up across all political ideologies, with more than 80 percent of self-identified conservative, moderate and liberal voters agreeing on the importance of holding drug companies accountable.
• 94 Percent: Americans almost universally agree that lawmakers should work in a bipartisan manner to lower prescription drug prices rather than only supporting policies backed by their own party.

• Two To One: After hearing a description of the Rebate Rule and its impact, including a statement on what proponents of the policy say, 55 percent of Americans oppose the Rebate Rule, compared to 25 percent who say they support it.
• 53 Percent: More than half of voters, 53 percent, say President Biden and lawmakers should take steps to reverse the Rebate Rule, compared to just 16 percent who support leaving the policy intact.

See Morning Consult’s summary of the CSRxP survey findings HERE.

Read more on bipartisan, market-based solutions to hold Big Pharma accountable HERE.