(BPRW) Why Drug Pricing Programs Have Not Reduced Health Disparities

Southern Christian Leadership Global Policy Initiative Releases White Paper

(Black PR Wire) Washington DC – Today, the Southern Christian Leadership Global Policy Initiative (SCL-GPI) and Creative Investment Research (CIR) released a white paper titled

“Why Drug Pricing Programs Have Not Reduced Health Disparities.“

 The COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest surrounding racial disparities and systemic racism have put renewed emphasis on closing health and wealth gaps. Prescription drug pricing, always a hot topic in the battle for equity, has been at the forefront of this conversation. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 intensified the scrutiny on access to medicines, co-morbidity, and other issues surrounding health equity.

According to Kevin B. Kimble, Esq., Executive Director of SCL-GPI, “As we seek to address the persistent health disparities that exist in our country, we must first examine the efforts that have come before and learn what has and has not worked.”  

This paper examines the role of the 340B Program, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), Copay Accumulators, and the phenomenon of pharmacy deserts in the utilization of prescription drugs, their costs, and impact on racial health disparities. While there is evidence these programs have provided benefits to the intended, they have not significantly improved the availability of affordable care for underserved communities or reduced the disparity in life expectancy between Black and Latino Americans and non-Hispanic whites.

“Our focus has been on accurately evaluating the impact that current programs designed to increase life expectancy have had for Black and Brown communities. Addressing these deficiencies requires an honest review and effective rethinking of existing programs as well as alternative approaches by lawmakers and industry stakeholders focused on prioritizing care for vulnerable populations” said William Michael Cunningham, Economist at Creative Investment Research.

Southern Christian Leadership Global Policy Initiative (SCL-GPI) – Founded to help the civil rights movement research the most critical issues, SCL-GPI works to solve the most impactful problems in disadvantaged and minority communities. SCL-GPI researches specific social justice issues to identify correctable problems, design innovative policies to address these problems, and build coalitions to advocate for a policy strategy supporting a better standard of living for all communities. For more information, contact bbuckner@sclgpi.org

At Creative Investment Research, we know that change doesn’t happen overnight. We also know that any change worth fighting for takes a united force with relevant and accurate information, perseverance, and tenacity. With over 30 years of experience, we are dedicated to helping individuals, organizations, and corporations understand the social hardships that lay heavy on the world – bringing awareness to the issues. Armed with this knowledge, we collaborate with these entities to design, develop, test, and measure innovative investment vehicles to drive social reform.