Senator Rich Draheim (R-Madison Lake) and Senator Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake), chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, will be holding a listening session in New Prague on Wednesday, November 20 on the topic of rising prescription drug costs. The listening session will be held at New Prague City Hall Council Chambers (118 Central Ave N., New Prague, MN 56071) at 2:00 PM. It is free of charge and the meeting will offer community residents an opportunity to tell their own stories, as well as learn more about two options being considered that would grant Minnesotans access to more affordable prescription drugs.

“Since I began serving our community in the legislature, my top priority has been lowering the cost of health care,” said Senator Draheim, who serves on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. “Although I authored and passed into law bipartisan legislation last session to lower the cost of pharmaceuticals, we need to do more. This listening session gives us an opportunity to hear directly from area residents about their struggles with the costs of prescription drugs and what could be done to help them.”

Last session, Senator Draheim co-authored the Minnesota Pharmacy Benefit Manager Licensure and Regulation Act, which includes provisions that mandate disclosure of any rebates or discounts available from drug manufacturers. Additionally, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) in Minnesota are now required to communicate regularly with all pharmacies the cost for prescription drugs, and pharmacist are now allowed to inform patients of cheaper methods to obtain prescription medications.

Further, the federal government has recently offered latitude to states looking to obtain cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued guidance for prescription drug reimportation programs, which focused on two possible pathways for states to consider. Florida, Vermont, Colorado, and Maine have already passed importation laws, and numerous other states are looking at proposals or have introduced their own bills.

“Minnesota has always been a leader in health care, and Senate Republicans will continue to propose real solutions to reduce the cost of prescription drugs and maintain the quality of our health care system for all Minnesota families,” said Senator Benson. “People are already going to Canada and Mexico in search of cheaper prescription drugs. We have clearly seen there is a market for these drugs; we’re just going to make sure more Minnesotans can participate. It boils down to this: Minnesotans are going to get fairer prices without giving up the choices they have.”