Desert Sun: Innovative drugs improve California health outcomes in the short and long run
By Julie Gill Shuffield, Patients Come First California Executive Director
When a new drug hits the market, it creates ripple effects that can improve the health and quality of life of patients. Some of these drugs are life-changing from the perspective of managing existing chronic illnesses, as well as preventing new chronic illnesses.
The new class Glucagon-like peptide-1 medications are just the most recent example of this phenomenon. In addition to revolutionizing obesity treatment, these new drugs are transforming the entire health care and wellness space.
However, the last few years have seen global disruptions to supply chains for critical items, including prescription drugs, many of which are manufactured overseas. This led to public outcry over the lack of availability of critically needed medications, including GLP-1 drugs. The disparity in access to medical interventions has existed for years, and this latest example underscores the need to ensure all patients have the ability to access the care and treatments they need.
It is widely known that America has a chronic illness issue. In California, over 38% of residents live with at least one chronic condition, while more than half have multiple chronic conditions. The rate of obesity fairs even higher in counties like Riverside, where nearly 36% of adults live with obesity.
Despite California being home to an enormous health and wellness community, we’re not in the top 10 healthiest states, and our high rate of chronic disease is a major reason for that ranking.
Hence, why it is essential that California patients have access to innovative medications that can enhance their lives, prevent the development of new chronic diseases, and lead to lower medical costs in the future.
That last point is key. Solely viewing a medication from the perspective of the prescription cost can lead to flawed outcomes. When a drug helps treat one chronic disease, it can lead to improvements in a patient’s symptoms for other conditions. The potential to reduce the severity of chronic illnesses in the long term can help reduce a person’s overall health care spending and should be weighed in the balance.
Take obesity medications, for example. Compared to individuals of normal weight, people with obesity spend thousands of dollars more per year in medical costs. Our health care system focuses on sick care rather than wellness care. But if we are serious about lowering health care costs in the long run, we must put patient’s best interests first by ensuring they have access to medicines that improve well-being and help avoid future illnesses.
Decisions about what medicines or therapies a patient needs are always best left in the hands of those who understand the full medical picture of the individual – namely, medical professionals and patients themselves. Arbitrarily picking winners and losers regarding who gets to access innovative medicines by pharmacy middlemen and insurance companies is shortsighted.
Read the full op-ed in the Desert Sun here.