Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed a bill requiring greater disclosure of the factors that go into large drug price increases.
"Every Oregonian should be able to access the medications and treatments that allow them to live healthy, productive lives," said Brown, a Democrat, in a March 15 press release from Oregonians for Affordable Drug Prices Now, an advocacy group.
"This bill brings greater transparency around drug pricing, an important step towards making life-saving and essential drugs more available and affordable," Brown said.
The measure would create requirements for transparency if a pharmaceutical company raises the price of a drug by more than 10% in a year and if the drug costs at least $100 for a 30-day supply. The company would be required to disclose to the state information such as how much of the increase was attributed to the cost of research and how much was to pay for marketing.
Oregon's bill, which the state's Senate passed March 2 with a 25-4 vote, came over the objections of drug companies.
The bill is one of several approaches lawmakers nationally are considering to deal with rising drug costs, from allowing the importation of cheaper Canadian drugs to capping particularly expensive medication.
