OSPIRG State Legislative Scorecard

SB 844

Prescription Drug Affordability Board

One of the biggest takeaways from Oregon’s Prescription Drug Price Transparency program is that prescriptions still cost too much. The top five most expensive brand name prescriptions that had a price increase in 2020 were between $23,000-$43,000 per prescription. SB 844 puts Oregon on the path to actually reining in those high prices by setting up a new state body, the Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB). The PDAB will be empowered to review individual, high-cost drugs and evaluate whether they pose an affordability challenge for Oregonians. It is also directed to recommend to the legislature whether it should be given authority to set an “Upper Payment Limit,” essentially the maximum amount anyone would pay for the specific drug in the state. While we were disappointed the legislature didn’t initially give the PDAB this authority, we will continue to push to have it included in future sessions.