Klobuchar Calls EpiPen Offer A 'Relief,' But Says More Needs To Be Done
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Although the pharmaceutical company behind the EpiPen announced that it will now help more people pay for the life-saving allergy medication, Sen. Amy Klobuchar says more needs to be done to help Americans afford life-saving drugs.
On Thursday, Mylan, the maker of the EpiPen, said it will provide a savings card that would cover up to $300 of the cost of a two-pack of EpiPens, which currently lists at $600.
The move was in response to a recent public uproar over the rising cost of the life-saving medication. When Mylan first acquired the product nearly a decade ago, the price was $100 for a two-pack. It has increased steadily ever since.
Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) says Mylan currently has a monopoly on the EpiPen-device market and has asked for a federal investigation into Mylan's practices.
On Thursday, the senator said that while Mylan's savings offer was a "welcome relief" to consumers, it doesn't address the root problem.
"We cannot rely on public outcry as the only solution to high prescription drug prices," she said in a statement, adding: "It's this simple—if you have a life-threatening illness then you should have affordable access to the life-saving medication you need."
She called for bills she authored to be passed. One would allow patients to buy more generic drugs and another would allow them to import prescription drugs from Canada.
