Public policy campaign analysis for yes on issue 2 campaign

The Congress pushing this bill forward aims at saving millions of dollars for the state while at the same time protecting the drug industry from gouging the citizens of Ohio as well as the whole nation on drugs. This paper therefore provides a clear analysis of the campaign that supports the “Issue 2” policy relating to drug price relief act for improving the health sector at an affordable cost to the members of the public in Ohio State. Prescription drugs are necessities that ensure disease prevention, health improvement and live-saving among the citizens of a given nation. In the United State, the citizens have indicated difficulties in paying for their needed drugs due to higher charges. The profit margin for the drugs in the drug industry is much higher than any other existing business enterprise within the state (Choudhary 2015).

The political stability and strength of Ohio State is definitely the driving force for the Congress to press on this bill. The proposed “Ohio Drug Price Relief Act” has clearly elaborated the existing disparities among different parties on the price paid for the drugs in the United State. For instance, the Veteran Affairs pays up to 24% less price for drugs as compared to other citizens. The standard charges for every individual within the state should be equal with no discrimination. Applying the same standards in Ohio State will enhance the affordability of these drugs to the millions of residents who rely on Medicaid ("Ohio's Prescription Drugs Price Vote Could Change Health Care Nationwide" 2017). The government needs to make adjustments to the prices paid for the drugs to accommodate the drugs the state purchase but not provided to the VA such as drugs for children.

On making its decision on drug prices, the federal government should consider that the VA has their own dispensaries while the Ohio programs receive their health services from private pharmacies. The necessity of the “Issue 2” Act Increasing prices of prescription drugs prices in United State and the unrealistic drug company profits have become unconscionable. The federal government has been spending much on prescription drugs as compared to other industrialized nations. Drug prices especially the essential drugs for treating chronic diseases are increasing at an abnormal rate thus making them unaffordable to the members of the public. According to the National Academy of State Health Policy (NASHP), the competition existing in the drug industry leads to increase in drug prices instead of lowering the prices as it is supposed to work in a normal market competition.

The congress aims at removing this unhealthy competition in the healthcare department for the benefits of the citizens. The law has to ensure that the healthcare purchase follows the normal laws of demand and supply thus correlating the between the need for healthcare and the ability of the consumers to pay for it. The act also aims at producing significant savings to the Ohio health programs since the prescription drug prices will be lowered to the level at which veteran affairs purchase them. The Medicaid discounts will be required to be returned to the government thus increasing the government savings. It is therefore important to elaborate that it is possible for the state to identify vast majorities of drugs dispensed by the VA while setting the net cost as per the act requirements.

The use of the VA formula is required in determining the vast majority of the drugs purchased by the Ohio programs. Ohio programs are required to determine the drugs prescribed by the VA which are not in their formula. Delaying in applying the net cost requirement to the off-formula drug for a given amount of time by the Ohio legislature and administrative agencies up to the time the VA releases their off-prescription information would greatly assist in understanding the amount of drugs that the VA purchase (Kesselheim, et al. If the Ohio programs’ prices will be higher than that of AV, the act will require the seller to rebate the difference between the two prices. The state aims at ensuring equity between the Ohio program drug prices and the prices at which the Veteran Affairs purchase their drugs which is much lower than the normal prices applied to the citizens.