- Ohio Voters Reject Measure to Rein in Drug Costs Stat by Casey Ross — A ballot proposal to rein in drug costs was soundly defeated in Ohio Tuesday after an expensive ballot fight that drew tens of millions of dollars from the pharmaceutical industry. The ballot proposal, known as the Drug Price Relief Act, was rejected by nearly 80 percent of voters in final results. It would have required that state agencies pay no more for medicine than the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which gets a 24 percent discount off average manufacturers' prices. Tuesday's vote was the second defeat for the proposal, which was also voted down in California last year. Many voters said they were confused about its impacts on consumers and didn't feel comfortable supporting it.
- Over-the-Counter Painkillers Treated Painful Injuries Just as Well as Opioids in New Study Los Angeles Times by Melissa Healy — In an opioid epidemic that currently claims an average of 91 lives per day, there have been many paths to addiction. For some, it started with a fall or a sports injury, a trip to a nearby emergency room and a prescription for a narcotic pain reliever that seemed to work well in the ER. New research underscores how tragically risky — and unnecessary — such prescribing choices have been. In a new study of patients who showed up to an emergency department with acute pain in their shoulders, arms, hips, or legs, researchers found that a cocktail of two non-addictive, over-the-counter drugs relieved pain just as well as — and maybe just a little better than — a trio of opioid pain medications widely prescribed under such circumstances.
- Trump Talks Tough but Little Action Seen on Drug Prices The Hill by Nathaniel Weixel — President Trump blasted the pharmaceutical industry for "getting away with murder" with steep drug prices during the campaign and since, but his administration has done little to force the industry to change its ways. As recently as Oct. 16, the president repeated the "getting away with murder" line and promised to bring prices "way down." But despite the rhetoric, Trump has not acted on most of the drug pricing promises he made during the election. Activists said they are disappointed. "I actually believe the president understands that people are hurting and he correctly IDs the problem — but the processes in his administration have been captured by the drug companies," said David Mitchell, president and founder of Patients for Affordable Drugs.