This is part of our Cardinal Way project on promoting civil discussions. We’ve previously run an opinion article by Del. Karrie Delaney, D-Fairfax County, in favor of Prescription Drug Affordability Board and another, by Richmond physician Harry Gewanter that is opposed. Del. Tom Garrett, R-Buckingham County, offered a third opinion. With those, we invited readers to tell us what you think by filling out this brief survey. We published some of those responses earlier this week. Here’s another opinion piece, this one from Del. Keith Hodges, R-Gloucester County, a pharmacist.
For many Virginians, affording prescription medications is an all-too-familiar struggle, often making it harder to afford the treatments they need. While we all want a solution that eases that burden, I have serious concerns about whether Prescription Drug Affordability Boards (PDABs) will truly provide financial relief.
PDABs are government-controlled entities designed to control prescription drug prices. In theory, by regulating the prices of certain medicines, they aim to ease the financial burden on patients, making medications more affordable and accessible. However, the reality is that while price-setting boards may seem like a solution, they fail to deliver on their promises.
We’ve already seen this play out in states like Maryland and Colorado, where PDABs have yet to deliver meaningful benefits to residents. Maryland, the first to establish a PDAB in 2019, promised to ease patients’ financial burdens by capping medication prices, yet residents still face high out-of-pocket costs. Similarly, Colorado’s 2021 PDAB has struggled with drug pricing complexities, doing little to reduce costs for patients. In both states, PDABs have failed to implement policies that effectively lower the cost of prescription drugs.
There are several reasons PDABs fail. First, they prioritize bureaucratic decision-making over the input of doctors and patients. Unelected officials set drug prices and limit treatment options, while ignoring the most obvious causes of high drug prices — mainly PBMs, who control what patients pay at the pharmacy. Another example of how this type of policy can cause harm is the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which also relies on price controls, has already restricted seniors’ access to necessary medications. A recent survey shows that 78% of insurers plan to limit options for Medicare Part D enrollees as a result.
Another flaw of PDABs is their focus on imposing arbitrary price caps on specialty drugs – medications that treat rare or life-threatening conditions. Developing these drugs requires significant time and investment. This ultimately leads to fewer innovative treatments, leaving patients with less options and stalling medical advancements that could save lives.
Here in Virginia, where cities like Richmond and Petersburg are becoming centers of pharmaceutical development and manufacturing, Haleon’s $54 million investment to upgrade its Sherwood Avenue facility underscores the region’s growing role in the industry, modernizing research, enhancing consumer labs, and incorporating artificial intelligence to accelerate product development. The expansion includes a partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to offer paid internships, providing a skilled workforce for the growing pharmaceutical sector. PDABs could threaten this progress, discouraging the research and development that fuels not only medical breakthroughs but also economic growth.
We need long-term solutions to make medications more affordable — solutions that tackle inefficiencies in the healthcare system and bring greater transparency. Rather than providing meaningful reform, PDABs distract from the deeper issues while jeopardizing medical innovation and economic opportunities.
Patients deserve better. Let’s learn from the failures of other states and choose a path that protects both affordability and innovation — because the health and future of our families depend on it.
