Maryland fights back against price hikes on common drugs

“Say what?!” It’s the likely reaction from patients when they hear that a drug they’ve used for years suddenly jumps in price without warning or a good reason from the drug company. And it’s a big problem that Maryland lawmakers agreed to battle with legislation allowing the state’s attorney general to go after companies that engage in price-gouging.

The new law specifically targets companies that jack up the price on generics and essential, off-patent medications such as albuterol, naloxone, Dariprim and EpiPen, The New England Journal of Medicine reports. The law gives the attorney general the license to investigate any time price increases are enough to “shock the conscience” of a consumer.

Lawmakers from other states reached out to Maryland as the new policy was being debated, which suggests they might be interested in passing similar protections if federal policies are not enacted to protect patients.

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