New Survey Shows Strong Support For WV Rx Transparency Legislation

A new statewide survey of Mountain State voters age 18 and older finds that an overwhelming majority of West Virginians support legislative efforts to bring greater transparency to the pharmaceutical industry to help control the costs of prescription medicines for consumers.

The West Virginia Legislature is currently considering bipartisan legislation in both of its chambers during its 2020 60-day Regular Session (which concludes March 7), aimed at bringing increased disclosure and accountability from the pharmaceutical industry. House Bill 4583, pending in the House of Delegates Government Organization committee, and Senate Bill 689, pending in the Senate Health Committee, would require drug manufacturers who sell prescription drugs in West Virginia to provide cost information, changes in cost information, and prescription drug statistics to the State Auditor for publication on a searchable transparency website.



Nearly 90 percent of West Virginians age 18 and older support the passage of such legislation, according to the survey conducted by AARP West Virginia. The adoption of transparency legislation is viewed as an important step forward in state and national efforts to address rising prescription drug costs.



Among the survey’s key findings:

• An overwhelming majority of West Virginians (89 percent) report that they take prescription drugs on a regular basis or live with someone who does, with more than half (52 percent) reporting they take or live with someone who takes as many as five different prescription medications on a regular basis.
• Seven in ten West Virginians (69 percent) say the prices of prescription drugs are unreasonable. Two in five (41 percent) say they have not filled a prescription provided by their doctor during the past two years, with the main reason being the cost.
• Regardless of age or party affiliation, the vast majority of West Virginians (77 percent) feel state elected officials are not doing enough to address the high price of prescription drugs.
• Eight in ten (83 percent) West Virginians, regardless of political affiliation, agree that transparency laws will help control prescription drug prices, and there is widespread agreement (77 percent) that transparency legislation is needed.

“These survey results confirm what we’ve known; the skyrocketing prices of prescription drugs affect almost everyone, putting a strain not only on family budgets, but on state budgets as well,” said Gaylene Miller, AARP West Virginia State Director. “Last year, 33 states enacted legislation to make prescription drugs more accessible and affordable. It is important that we bring transparency to the process and start to address rising prescription drug costs for West Virginia families.”



AARP, which counts nearly 300,000 West Virginians among its members, is focused on bipartisan solutions that provide real relief to those who struggle to afford their needed medications. The Mountain State survey, conducted by MBE Enterprises, surveyed 800 registered West Virginia voters age 18-plus between January 22 and January 28, 2020, and has a margin of error of +/- 3.46 percentage points.

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AARP WV Media Contact: Tom Hunter, 304-340-4605, tphunter@aarp.org