for people who are at or below 300 percent of the poverty level
(about $29,000 annually for an individual and $58,000 for a fam-
ily of four) and do not already have prescription drug coverage
of some kind. The big glitch is that there's no rule that pharma-
ceutical companies must participate, no requirement that dis-
counts actually be offered, and there are no consequences for
failing to do either of these.
Critics of Prop. 78 say that they suspect drug companies will,
in the short run, offer some discounts to counteract much of the
bad PR they've received in recent years and to distract the Amer-
C A L I F O R N I A N U R S E 0 C T O B E R 2 0 0 5 7
W
hy would the nation's largest pharma-
ceutical companies raise nearly $100
million to pass a law allowing them to
voluntarily give discounts to the pub-
lic, if they can already do it now, with-
out a law? That's the big question
Californians should be asking of the
groups behind Proposition 78, a measure on the November spe-
cial election ballot.
Prop. 78 would establish a state-run drug discount program
Off-
Label
Use
Big pharma is
forking over upwards
of $100 million to
establish a drug
discount program
that they don't
have to join. What
is it that they're
really paying for?
BY LUCIA HWANG
