Maryland Matters
January 6, 2025
Danielle J. Brown
Excerpt:
“A new poll says an overhwhelming majority of Marylanders believe drug manufacturers could reduce costs for prescription drugs without cutting into funds going to research and development of new drugs, a key argument of the pharmaceutical industry.
The poll by Gonzales Research & Media Services Inc. found that 83% of Marylanders surveyed agreed with the statement that drug companies can lower the costs of prescription drugs by spending less on advertising and other expenses.
“Among Maryland voters, a sweeping 83% align more closely with the belief that drug companies can afford to make their drugs less expensive, given their inflated profits and exorbitant spending on advertising; while only 12% think that capping the prices drug companies can charge for prescriptions would constrain their ability to finance research for new medications, with 5% providing no opinion,” according to the poll results released Monday.
Vincent DeMarco, president of the Maryland Health Care for All coalition, which commissioned the polling question, said it shows that “the public understands that the drug companies’ scare tactics are just that — scare tactics.”
“They (Marylanders) really feel the need to make these high-cost drugs more affordable, and they believe that it can be done without undermining research,” DeMarco said.”
Read the full article at Maryland Matters.org
Last modified: January 7, 2025
