Salem residents will have a chance next month to share how the rising cost of prescription drugs is affecting their lives.
The Oregon Prescription Drug Affordability Board, or PDAB, is holding a community forum in Salem on Tuesday, May 5, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Salem Public Library, 585 Liberty Street SE. The meeting is part of a statewide effort to gather public input on the cost of medications and the financial burden they place on patients, caregivers, and families.
PDAB Executive Director Sarah Young says the board wants to hear directly from Oregonians about how prescription costs are impacting household budgets and access to care. She says those personal stories will help inform the board’s review of prescription drugs that may be creating affordability challenges and high out-of-pocket costs.
This year, the board is reviewing several widely used medications, including Jardiance, Mounjaro, Ozempic, Keytruda, Verzenio, Xeljanz, Ocrevus, Skyrizi, Tremfya, Xolair, and Humulin R U-500.
The feedback gathered at the Salem forum will become part of the board’s annual review process, which helps shape recommendations to the Oregon Legislature.
The Prescription Drug Affordability Board was created by the Oregon Legislature in 2021 to address the high cost of medications and their impact on consumers and the health care system.
More information is available through the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation.
