The past few years have underscored the essential role
bioethics plays in helping us navigate health crises and controversies. From
the tsunami of COVID-19 to the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision and the
FDA’s accelerated approval of Aduhelm, to name just a few, the Greenwall
community is speaking out and offering thoughtful solutions.
To mark the Faculty Scholars Program’s 20th anniversary, we
are looking at current conversations in the public square and sharing a few
recent snapshots of Faculty Scholars and Alums responding to the issues of the
day.
Ethical issues related to prescription drugs
– costs, manufacturing, FDA approvals – are among the most recognizable and
relatable bioethics issues today.
More than 131 million Americans take at least one
prescription drug – that’s two-thirds
of the adult population. These drugs can be expensive and are increasingly so
every year. Nationwide per capita spending
on prescription drugs increased from $140 in 1980 to $1,073 in 2018. This has made prescription drug costs a
kitchen table issue and frequent topic in the news and in politics.
Greenwall Faculty Scholars and Alums have long been challenging
the status quo and suggesting solutions to many ethical dilemmas related to
prescription drugs. Most recently, Scholars have reacted to the passage of the Inflation
Reduction Act, signed into law on August 12, 2022. It includes provisions designed to
lower health care costs, including prescription drug costs. For example,
Medicare will be able to negotiate some drug prices, and Insulin copayments will
be capped at $35 per month. Although the legislation is a step forward to
reduce the costs of prescription drugs, there are limitations and caveats. Here,
our Faculty Scholars community explains the finer points of drug pricing, with
some recent coverage of the future impact of the Inflation Reduction Act.
